BIG  GAME 

FISHES 

OF  THE 


:  H  A  :=>    F 

•v,^     JS.    A     ^    >->    V*jJf    4      A 


AMERICM  SPORTSMAN'S  LIBRARY 

Edited  by  Caspar  Whitney 


LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


BIOLOGY      Class 

LIBRARY 
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THE  AMERICAN    SPORTSMAN^   LIBRARY 

EDITED  BY 
CASPAR    WHITNEY 


THE    BIG   GAME    FISHES 

OF   THE   UNITED    STATES 


THE  BIG  GAME  FISHES 


OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


BY 


CHARLES  FREDERICK  HOLDER 

AUTHOR   OF   "LIFE   OF  CHARLES   DARWIN,"    "ALONG   THE   FLORIDA 

REEF,"   "THE  ADVENTURES   OF  TORQUA,"    "THE   TREASURE 

DIVERS,"    "  LIFE  OF  LOUIS   AGASSIZ,"  ETC. 


gork 
THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON :   MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LTD. 


reserved 


aifcff 

i7  ;l 


COPYRIGHT,  1903, 
BY  THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped  January,  1903. 


Nortooott 

J.  S.  Cughing  &  Co.  -  Berwick  &  Smith 
Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


•        * 


PREFACE 

ANGLING  for  the  great  oceanic  game  fishes,  so 
far  as  it  relates  to  the  tarpon,  tuna,  black  sea- 
bass,  and  others,  is  a  modern  pastime.  The  time 
was  when  the  definition  of  game  fish  included  the 
reservation  that  it  must  be  edible,  like  the  salmon 
or  trout;  but  with  the  coming  of  the  tarpon  or 
the  silver  king,  and  the  leaping  tuna,  precon- 
ceived notions  were  revolutionized.  What  tiger 
and  lion  hunting  is  to  the  sportsman,  the  taking 
of  these  ocean  giants  is  to  the  sea-angler,  who 
often  takes  his  life  in  his  hands,  as  with  all  the 
chances  on  the  side  of  the  fish  he  plays  the  great 
game  in  the  open  sea  from  one  to  fourteen  hours. 
It  is  wild  and  strenuous  sport,  essentially  manly, 
and  nowhere  is  the  true  sportsmanlike  spirit 
better  exemplified  than  among  its  votaries  who 
follow  the  largest  fishes  with  tackle  so  light  that 
the  layman  will  often  doubt  the  evidence  of  his 
eyes.  In  all  the  famous  localities  where  gentle- 
men fish  and  sea-angling  holds,  the  highest  stand- 
ard of  sport  prevails.  In  California  alone  there 

V 

236466 


vi  Preface 

are  over  forty  state  associations  devoted  to  the 
protection  of  fish  and  game,  with  a  membership 
of  over  forty-two  hundred.  Besides  these  there 
are  a  number  of  clubs  like  the  Tarpon  Club  of 
Aransas  Pass,  Texas,  the  Tuna  Club  of  Santa 
Catalina,  the  Striped  Bass  Club  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  others,  which  have  so  shaped  public 
opinion  that  unsportsmanlike  methods  are  rapidly 
becoming  things  of  the  past. 

Every  sea-angler  has  his  peculiar  methods,  his 
rods,  knots,  lines,  and  hooks,  and  I  may  be  par- 
doned for  giving  my  own  experiences  among  the 
great  game  fishes  referred  to  in  this  volume,  all 
of  which  I  have  taken  many  times  in  years  spent, 
winter  and  summer,  on  the  Florida  Reef,  among 
the  Californian  islands,  and  along  the  seaboard 
of  nearly  every  state  where  fishes  can  be  caught. 
These  personal  experiences  are  supplemented  by 
the  prevailing  methods  of  the  various  localities 
so  far  as  known. 

While  the  volume  is  addressed  to  anglers  from 
the  sportsman's  standpoint,  data  has  been  added 
relating  to  the  structure,  habits,  measurements, 
geographical  distribution,  nomenclature,  economic 
value  of  the  fishes,  and  such  other  matter  as 
would  interest  the  sportsman-naturalist.  The 


Preface  vii 

question  of  tackle  and  methods  is  of  paramount 
importance  to  anglers,  and  as  my  own  interest 
has  been  along  the  line  of  experiments  with  the 
lightest  tackle,  lines,  and  rods  for  the  largest 
fishes,  in  the  interests  of  fair  play  for  the  splen- 
did game,  I  have  included  the  reference  to  this 
feature  in  each  chapter  where  the  description 
of  the  capture  of  each  fish  and  its  peculiarities 
occurs. 

The  fishes  represent  an  important  and  interest- 
ing branch  of  the  animal  kingdom.  They  are  di- 
vided into  about  two  hundred  families  and  twelve 
thousand  species,  America  alone  claiming  thirty- 
three  hundred,  which  have  been  made  the  subject 
of  untiring  investigation,  especially  during  recent 
years,  by  many  distinguished  specialists,  among 
whom  in  this  country  have  been  Louis  Agassiz, 
Charles  L.  McKay,  Spencer  F.  Baird,  James  Car- 
son Brevoort,  William  O.  Ayres,  David  H.  Storer, 
David  Starr  Jordan,  Theodore  Gill,  George  Brown 
Goode,  Tarleton  H.  Bean,  Samuel  Garman,  Bar- 
ton W.  Evermann,  and  many  more  whose  works 
are  found  in  the  United  States  Government  Re- 
ports and  those  of  the  various  institutions  of  sci- 
ence in  this  and  other  countries.  Among  these 
may  be  mentioned  the  works  of  Louis  and  Alex- 


viii  Preface 

ander  Agassiz;  "  The  Fishes,"  by  Garman,  in  the 
Memoirs  of  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology 
at  Harvard  College,  vol.  xxiv,  a  most  valuable 
and  sumptuous  series ;  "  The  Fishes  of  North  and 
Middle  America,"  exhaustive  and  valuable  vol- 
umes issued  by  the  Smithsonian,  representing  a 
part  of  the  life  work  of  David  Starr  Jordan  and 
Barton  W.  Evermann;  "Oceanic  Ichthyology," 
a  monument  —  if  any  was  needed  —  to  the  splen- 
did abilities  of  the  late  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode  and 
his  colleague,  Tarleton  H.  Bean ;  Jordan  and  Gil- 
bert's "  Synopsis  of  the  Fishes  of  North  Amer- 
ica " ;  "  The  Aquatic  Resources  and  Fisheries  of 
Porto  Rico,"  by  Barton  W.  Evermann ;  "  The 
Fisheries  and  Fishing  Industries  of  the  United 
States,"  by  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode,  and  many  more ; 
and  to  them,  sportsmen  and  anglers  —  always 
naturalists  in  the  broadest  sense,  lovers  of  nature 
—  owe  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  for  making 
available  technical  information  regarding  the  game 
in  which  they  are  particularly  interested.  Then 
comes  the  literature  of  the  gentle  art  of  angling 
and  the  angler,  the  lover  of  fishes,  dating  from  the 
time  of  Athenaeus,  Oppian,  >Elian,  Rondeletius, 
Dubravius,  Pliny,  Plutarch,  Aldrovandus,  the  im- 
mortal Du  Bartas,  and  many  others,  the  memoirs 


Preface  ix 

of  the  men  who  have  founded  a  philosophy  of 
their  own,  and  lived  by  it,  under  the  sign  of  the 
fish.  It  is  impossible  even  to  mention  all  the 
worthies  who  have  aided  in  making  life  happier, 
brighter,  longer  for  themselves,  and  shorter  for 
the  fishes.  There  is  Walton  of  blessed  memory, 
with  his  discourse  on  fish  and  fishing;  Richard 
Franck ;  John  Dennys  and  his  "  Secrets  of  An- 
gling," 1613;  "  Salmonia,"  by  Sir  John  Davy; 
"  Chalk  Stream  Studies,"  by  Charles  Kingsley ; 
Penn's  "Miseries  of  Fishing";  Robert  Boyle's 
"  Angling  " ;  and  a  hundred  more,  down  through 
the  names  of  Andrew  Lang,  R.  D.  Blackmore, 
Thaddeus  N orris,  Frank  Forrester,  Robert  B. 
Roosevelt,  Dr.  Yale,  William  C.  Prime,  Henry 
P.  Wells,  William  Black,  Henry  Van  Dyke, 
Dr.  Henshall,  Dr.  Kenworthy,  Fred  Mather, 
and  many  more.  The  literature  of  the  sub- 
ject is  endless.  Dr.  Goode,  in  the  prologue  to 
his  "  Game  Fishes,"  says :  "  My  own  library  of 
works  on  fish  and  fishing  is  far  from  complete, 
yet  it  includes  over  two  thousand  volumes  and 
pamphlets,  and  my  Bibliography  of  American 
Ichthyology,  which  I  hope  to  publish  within  the 
next  two  years,  comprises  nearly  ten  thousand  titles 
of  books  and  papers.  A  large  number  of  these 


x  Preface 

works  relate  to  the  scientific  investigations  of  ex- 
perts and  specialists,  but  it  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  an  equal  number  are  devoted  to  the  art  of 
angling  and  the  capture  of  fishes."  I  am  in- 
debted to  the  United  States  Fish  Commission 
for  the  outline  drawings  of  fishes  in  this  volume, 
which  have  been  taken  from  the  originals  in  the 
late  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode's  Government  Report, 
entitled  "  The  Fisheries  and  Fishing  Industries 
of  the  United  States." 

C.  F.  H. 

PASADENA,  CALIFORNIA, 
January  I,  1903. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  GAME  FISHES  i 

II.  THE  WHITE  SEA-BASS    *        .        .        .        .        .14 

III.  THE  GRAY  SNAPPER 33 

IV.  THE  LEAPING  TUNA 51 

V.  THE  BARRACUDA  OF  FLORIDA       ....  88 

VI.  THE  CALIFORNIA  BARRACUDA        .        .        .        .  99 

VII.  THE  BLACK  SEA-BASS 105 

VIII.  THE  HOGFISH.       -.        . 118 

IX.  THE  YELLOWTAIL 133 

X.  THE  BLUEFISH 152 

XI.  THE  JACK       ,        .        , 163 

XII.  THE  CALIFORNIA  SHEEPSHEAD       .        .        .        .  175 

XIII.  THE  CHANNEL-BASS 187 

XIV.  THE  ALBACORE 200 

XV.  THE  GROUPERS 211 

XVI.  THE  TARPON 223 

XVII.  THE  BLACKFISH 274 

XVIII.  THE  KINGFISH 281 

XIX.  THE  FLORIDA  JEWISH 298 

XX.  THE  DRUM      .   „        .        .        .        .        .        .  309 

XXI.  THE  SHEEPSHEAD 324 


xii  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII.  THE  PARROT-FISHES     .        .        .       .        .       -333 

XXIII.  THE  DOLPHIN      .  ^        .        .        .        .342 

XXIV.  THE  MARIPOSAS   .        .  .        .                .    350 
XXV.    THE  HALIBUT 359 

XXVI.  THE  LEAPING  SHARKS 371 

XXVII.  THE  CHINOOK  OF  MONTEREY  .  .  .  .383 

XXVIII.  GAME  FISHES  OF  THE  COLONIES  .  .  -397 

XXIX.  BAIT  AND  GROUNDS     ...       .        .        *;      .    408 

INDEX «u      •        •    425 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

THE  BATTLE  ROYAL  {In  color)     .        .        v   .    •       Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

SKELETON  OF  A  FISH    .      >V     •  *        .        .        .        .        .  2 

DIAGRAM  OF  EXTERNAL  STRUCTURAL  FEATURES         .        .  3 

SECTION  OF  A  FISH       .  .     .       ..  v      ,        .        .        .        .  6 

CATCH  OF  WHITE  SEA-BASS          .  «>'. 24 

THE  GRAY  SNAPPER  AND  ITS  FRIENDS     .  .        .        .        -37 

THE  LEAPING  TUNA  (In  color}     .     .  ,/       ,        .        .  54 

THE  LEAPING  TUNA,  SANTA  CATALINA   ]*••;.        .        .  58 

FIGURES  SHOWING  TUNA  AND  TARPON  REELS      ...  59 
A  ROD  —  EXACT  SIZE  OF  STANDARD  IRISH   LINEN  LINES 

FOR  ANGLING  . 61 

ANGLER'S  KNOTS   .        ....    , ;'••;•/..-• 62 

HOOKS    FOR    YELLOWTAIL,    TUNA,    OR    BLACK    SEA-BASS 

FISHING  .        .        ...     .>.    .= 63 

METHODS  OF  BAITING  TUNA  HOOKS 64 

FIGURE  SHOWING  THE  SIZE  OF  REEL  — FIGURE  SHOWING 

POSITION  OF  HANDS 74 

PLAYING  THE  LEAPING  TUNA 76 

C.  F.  HOLDER  AND  HIS  RECORD  TUNA        ....  78 

THE  WORLD'S  RECORD  TUNA      .*, , 80 

THE  BARRACUDA  (In  color) 94 

LARGEST  FISH  EVER  TAKEN  WITH  A  ROD  BY  A  WOMAN     .  106 

RECORD  BLACK  SEA-BASS     . 116 

SNOOK  ;   SERGEANT-FISH  —  YELLOWTAIL    OR    WHITE  SEA- 
BASS  AND  BLUEFISH  HOOKS   .        .        .        *        .        .132 


xiv  List  of  Illustrations 

FACING   PAGE 

SEA-LIONS  IN  WATER  WHERE  is  THE    BEST  YELLOWTAIL 

FISHING  IN  CALIFORNIA  .        ,        ...        .        .        .138 

YELLOWTAIL  OR  AMBER-FISH  —  HOOK  WITH  WIRE  TO  CLOSE 
THE  MOUTH  OF  FISH   BAIT  —  SARDINE  OR  HERRING 

BAIT  FOR  YELLOWTAIL 140 

HARD-TAIL,  "  RUNNER  "  —  CREVALLE,   "  CAVALLY,"   "JACK  " 

—  BLUEFISH    ,        .        . 154 

SURF-CASTING  FOR  BLUEFISH  (In  color}       .     '-  .        .        .  157 
RED    DRUM,    "  RED-FISH,"    "  CHANNEL-BASS  "  —  RIG    FOR 

GROUPER,  RED  SNAPPER,  ETC.      .      ..:      i       V     •.  188 

THE  CHANNEL-BASS  (In  color}       .        .        .     r-:~   /^,  -    _  l^Q 

THE  LARGEST  TARPON  EVER  CAUGHT  WITH  ROD  AND  REEL  224 

TARPON  FEEDING  (In  color)         .        .        .        .        .        .  226 

RED  GROUPER  —  THE  LITTLE  JOKER  .....  228 

TARPON;   TARPUM  —  COMMON  MULLET;   STRIPED  MULLET  232 
EDWIN  VOM   HOFE'S  TARPON,  WHICH  WAS  THE   WORLD'S 

RECORD  FOR  A  TIME     .        .        .     "*£*•*  /      .        .  234 

THE  FLORIDA  JEWFISH  (In  color)         .        .        .        ;        .  302 

SPANISH  MACKEREL  — DRUM;  GRAY  DRUM         .        .        .  314 

SHEEPSHEAD  —  TRIPLE-TAIL  FLASHER  .        .        .        .        .  332 

HALIBUT  —  CHINOOK,  KING  OR  QUINNAT  SALMON       .        .  360 

THE  KINGFISH  (In  color) 386 

CALIFORNIA  HERRING  —  SURF  SMELT  .        .        .        .        .  412 

BAITED  HOOKS .  416 

CALIFORNIA  SMELT — BULL'S  EYE  OR  CHUB  MACKEREL     .  420 

CASTING  FROM  THE  BEACH  FOR  BONITO      .        .        .        .  422 


THE    BIG   GAME    FISHES 

OF  THE  UNITED   STATES 


BIG  GAME   FISHES 

CHAPTER   I 

THE   STRUCTURE   OF  GAME  FISHES 

A  FISH  may  be  termed  a  cold-blooded,  gill- 
breathing,  backboned  animal,  adapted  to  life  in 
the  water,  through  which  it  moves  by  the  aid 
of  fins,  which  correspond  to  the  limbs  of  other 
animals.  The  true  fishes  are  represented  by  the 
types  treated  in  this  volume,  and  a  glance  at 
the  skeleton,  divested  of  skin  and  flesh,  affords 
the  angler  an  idea  of  its  structure,  and  the  rela- 
tion of  its  parts  one  to  another.  The  skeleton 
of  a  typical  bony  fish  like  the  perch  appears  to 
have  two  backbones,  but  the  central  one  (68)  is 
the  vertebra,  made  up  of  sometimes  two  hundred 
sections.  Each  vertebra  is  hollow  on  the  ends, 
the  space  so  formed  being  filled  with  a  glutinous 
substance,  the  edges  of  the  bones  being  connected 
by  ligaments,  which  allow  more  or  less  lateral 
motion  —  a  vast  amount  in  the  eel,  very  little  in 


DIAGRAM   OF  EXTERNAL  STRUCTURAL   FEATURES 


1.  Snout 
1-4.  Profile 

2.  Cheek-bone  (preoperde) 

3.  Gill-cover  (opercle) 

4.  Nape 

5.  Shoulder 
5-6-7.  Lateral  line 

7.  Base  of  caudal  fin 


8.  Ventral  line 

9.  Dorsal  line 

10.  First  dorsal  fin 

1 1 .  Second  dorsal  fin 

12.  Ventral  fin 

13.  Anal  fin 

14.  Caudal  fin 

15.  Pectoral  fin 


The  Structure  of  Game  Fishes  3 

The  large  bone  (28)  is  the  cover,  or  door,  to  the 
gill  chamber,  which  opens  and  closes  convulsively 
when  a  fish  is  landed.  The  fish  smells  but  does 
not  breathe  by  its  nostrils,  the  nasal  aperture 
being  shown  at  (15). 

In  the  skeleton  the  arrangement  and  use  of  the 
limbs,  or  fins,  is  readily  seen.  The  top  or  dorsal 
fins  (75)  are  balancers,  upper  centre-boards, 
capable  in  some  fishes  of  a  decided  screwlike 
movement,  enabling  them  to  move.  It  also  is  an 
expressive  organ,  erect  when  the  fish  is  excited, 
low  or  folded  at  other  times,  and  incapable  of 
movement  in  certain  forms.  In  the  tuna  it  fits 
into  a  scabbard,  or  notch.  The  tail,  caudal  fin 
(71),  is  the  most  useful  locomotive  organ,  con- 
trolled by  powerful  muscles  and  lashed  about  by 
the  entire  sweep  of  the  body;  it  is  readily  seen 
that  by  it  the  salmon  makes  its  tremendous  leaps 
and  the  tuna  literally  whirls  itself  into  the  air, 
nearly  all  fishes  using  it  as  a  screw.  The  peculiar 
motions  are  readily  observed  in  a  soft-tailed  fish, 
like  the  perch,  in  confinement. 

Directly  below  the  second  dorsal  fin,  near  the 
tail,  is  the  anal  fin  (86)  and  its  bones,  held  in 
place  by  spines  (79),  which  are  placed  firmly  in 
the  muscular  tissue.  It  is  these  interspinous  and 


4  Big  Game  Fishes 

rib-bones  which  make  fishes  so  "  bony,"  as  in 
some  species,  like  the  shad,  they  are  very  long 
and  slender,  giving  the  impression  that  this  popu- 
lar fish  must  be  very  uncomfortable.  This  anal 
fin  is  not  a  locomotive  organ,  being  merely  a 
balancer  to  aid  in  preserving  the  equilibrium  of  the 
fish,  a  sort  of  centre-board  and  a  rest  when  the  fish 
is  reclining  on  the  bottom.  The  limbs  which 
correspond  to  the  locomotive  organs  of  other 
animals  are  the  pectoral  (50)  and  ventral  (81)  fins. 
The  former  are  the  most  important  next  to  the 
tail  as  locomotive  organs.  Fishes,  as  the  Califor- 
nia sheepshead,  the  parrot-fishes,  tautog,  and 
others,  rely  upon  them  to  a  decided  extent,  the 
flapping  or  waving  motion  being  readily  ob- 
served; but  when  rapid  and  sudden  motion  is 
desired,  the  tail  is  brought  into  play,  finding  its 
most  remarkable  development,  at  least  in  my 
estimation,  in  the  California  flying-fish,  where  it 
twists  violently  about,  hurling  the  fish  into  the 
air  with  such  force  that,  supported  by  the  broad 
pectorals  and  ventrals,  the  fish  becomes  an  ani- 
mate aeroplane  and  soars  over  the  sea,  never  flying, 
for  over  an  eighth  of  a  mile.  The  pectoral  fins 
(50)  are  modified  into  forearms,  paddles;  and 
many  of  the  corresponding  bones  among  higher 


The  Structure  of  Game  Fishes  5 

animals  are  seen,  as  a  pectoral  arch,  scapula, 
clavicle,  ulna,  and  radius.  These  fins  are  found  in 
the  greatest  variety  from  the  long,  slender,  sabre- 
like  fin  of  the  albacore,  to  the  enormous  webbed, 
winglike  organ  of  the  flying-fishes,  resembling  a 
true  fore  limb  in  the  peculiar  fish,  the  perioph- 
thalmus,  which  uses  its  pectoral  fins  as  feet  to 
hop  along  the  muddy  shores  out  of  water,  in 
search  of  food.  Below  the  pectorals  we  find 
the  ventral  fins  (81),  rays,  attached  to  the  pelvic 
bone  (80),  representing  the  hind  legs  of  higher 
animals,  though  all  the  bones  of  the  limbs  are  not 
present.  These  fins  are  of  little  if  any  use  as 
swimming  organs,  but  the  fish  rests  upon  them 
when  on  the  bottom,  and  they  are  balancers,  aid- 
ing, as  do  the  others,  in  preserving  the  perfect 
equilibrium  of  the  body  while  the  fish  poises. 
The  angler  who  makes  a  diversified  catch,  as  is 
often  the  case  in  Florida,  will  be  highly  edified  by 
a  comparison  of  these  fins  in  the  different  fishes, 
suggestive  of  their  habits  and  game  qualities. 

We  have  taken  a  superficial  glance  at  the 
framework  of  the  game  fish.  It  is  a  marvellous 
machine,  built,  framed,  fitted,  joined,  provided 
with  paddles  and  screws  to  give  it  speed,  endur- 
ance, resisting  power  ;  in  a  word,  perfectly  adapted 


6  Big  Game  Fishes 

by  nature  to  its  environment.  Now  to  look  at 
its  internal  economy,  not  thoroughly,  as  text- 
books are  at  hand,  but  merely  to  afford  the  angler 
between  strikes  a  general  idea  of  how  his  game 
eats,  breathes,  and  makes  so  determined  and  gal- 
lant a  fight.  A  section  of  the  fish  is  shown  in 
Fig.  2.  Lifting  the  gill-covers  (dr)  near  where  the 
fish  should  be  gaffed,  we  see  the  gills,  blood-red 
membraneous  leaflets  supported  by  cartilaginous 
arches,  separated  by  slits.  These  are  situated  in 
branchial  chambers  or  breathing  rooms  on  each 
side  of  the  head,  and  are  the  lungs  or  breathing 
organs  of  the  fishes,  though  in  some  forms  the  air- 
bladder  assumes  this  function  when  the  fish  leaves 
the  water.  The  fish  obtains  its  oxygen  at  second 
hand,  using  minute  particles  of  air  which  are  held 
in  the  water.  Storms  and  winds  raise  a  sea  which 
forces  air-bubbles  down  below  the  surface,  aerat- 
ing the  water  in  sufficient  quantities  to  support 
life.  To  demonstrate  this  it  is  but  necessary  to 
place  a  fish  in  an  aquarium  and  allow  the  water 
to  run  in  from  below;  the  fish  in  a  short  time 
languishes  and  rises  to  the  surface  and  dies.  In- 
troduce the  water  from  above,  imitating  the  action 
of  a  wave  so  that  it  falls  upon  the  surface  with 
force,  carrying  down  air,  which  is  seen  permeating 


SECTION   OF  A  FISH 


8  Big  Game  Fishes 

medium  ;  hence  the  fishes  are  said  to  be  cold- 
blooded. But  in  the  tuna,  bonito,  and  others  the 
movements  are  so  energetic  that  the  temperature 
is  higher  than  that  of  the  water.  When  a  fish 
is  taken  out  of  the  water,  it  gasps  and  opens  its 
gills,  and  doubtless  is  killed  in  part  by  too  much 
oxygen,  the  reverse  of  the  drowning  process. 

The  digestive  organs  of  fishes  are  simple.  The 
prey  is  not  chewed,  the  teeth  being  intended  to 
hold  the  victim,  which  is  swallowed  entire  at  one 
or  two  gulps,  though  the  tuna  often  crushes  its 
prey.  Food  is  quickly  digested,  and  the  capacity 
of  some  fishes,  as  the  tuna,  bluefish,  and  others,  is 
remarkable.  The  mouth  and  teeth  are  modified 
or  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  the  fishes. 
Those  which  live  on  oysters,  as  the  sheepshead, 
have  crushing  organs.  The  shark,  not  a  true  fish, 
cuts  its  food  or  tears  it.  The  fish  is  enabled  to 
hold  its  position  at  various  levels  without  effort 
by  the  aid  of  its  air  or  swimming  bladder  (vn\ 
possessed  by  most  individuals.  This  is  a  silvery 
air  sac  or  balloon  lying  directly  beneath  the  verte- 
bra, longer  or  shorter  according  to  species,  absent 
in  some.  It  contains  gas,  principally  nitrogen, 
and  by  it  the  fish  is  enabled  to  retain  a  certain 
specific  gravity. 


The  Structure  of  Game  Fishes  9 

The  brain  of  the  fish  is  very  small,  and  the  lat- 
ter has  limited  intelligence.  Its  powers  of  smell 
are  fairly  well  developed,  and  the  hearing  is  more 
or  less  acute ;  the  organs  of  hearing  being  small 
cavities  on  each  side  of  the  head,  containing  a 
liquid  in  which  float  two  ear-stones  or  otoliths. 
In  some  fishes,  as  the  California  "groupers,"  the 
stones  are  an  inch  in  length,  pearl  tinted  and 
flinty,  —  attractive  objects  in  demand  as  "  head- 
stones "  and  "  good  luck  stones." 

The  fish  is  enveloped  in  scales,  which  in  the 
game  fishes  described  overlap  each  other  like 
shingles.  They  grow  out  of  the  little  pockets  in 
the  skin  and  are  moistened  or  lubricated  by  a 
secretion  or  slime,  always  noticed  in  a  fish,  which 
exudes  beneath  them,  and  particularly  along  the 
median  line,  an  undulating  line  extending  from 
the  head  to  the  base  of  the  tail.  The  game  fishes 
mentioned  in  this  volume  all  increase  by  deposit- 
ing eggs  or  spawn,  the  eggs  —  minute  spherical 
objects  —  often  forming  enormous  masses.  The 
caviare  of  commerce  is  the  roe  of  the  sturgeon. 
The  number  of  eggs  is  inconceivable.  In  the  cod 
it  is  estimated  at  five  millions.  This  is  a  wise 
provision  of  nature,  as  fishes  feed  upon  their  own 
kind.  Sardines,  herrings,  and  many  birds  devour 


io  Big  Game  Fishes 

spawn,  and  out  of  every  million  eggs  deposited,  a 
very  small  percentage,  certainly  not  ten,  attain  the 
adult  stage.  There  are  great  concerted  move- 
ments at  the  spawning  period.  Some  fishes  pair. 
The  female,  as  a  rule,  pays  no  attention  to  the 
eggs  or  young,  and  in  nearly  all  instances  where 
nests  are  constructed,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
stickleback,  the  sunfish,  Semotilus,  lamprey,  and 
many  more,  it  is  the  male  which  builds  the  nest. 
The  Acara  carries  the  eggs  and  later  the  young  in 
its  mouth. 

The  spawn  is  deposited  in  the  open  sea,  in 
the  case  of  the  tuna,  albacore,  bonito,  and  other 
pelagic  fishes ;  at  the  surface  in  bays,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  flying-fish.  Some  fishes,  as  certain 
California  sculpins,  attach  eggs  in  great  clusters 
to  rocks ;  others  again,  as  the  rock-bass,  form  a 
simple  nest,  while  others,  as  the  salmon,  deposit 
the  eggs  on  sandy  or  gravelly  bottom ;  some,  as 
the  blackfish,  among  weeds  or  grass.  Over  the 
eggs  the  male  distributes  the  milt  which  impreg- 
nates them,  and  in  a  greater  or  less  time  the 
young  appear,  immediately  becoming  the  prey 
to  a  thousand  enemies.  Some  fishes  possess  the 
schooling  instinct,  as  the  herring,  sardine,  Cali- 
fornia barracuda,  mullet,  and  others ;  the  ma- 


The  Structure  of  Game  Fishes          n 

jority  separate.  Many  young  of  pelagic  fishes 
attach  themselves  to  large  jellyfishes;  others  to 
the  physalia,  and  some  adults  enter  the  intestinal 
tube  of  holothurians. 

There  are  two  other  methods  of  reproduction 
among  fishes  and  the  fishlike  animals.  In  some, 
as  the  surf-fishes  and  certain  sharks,  the  young 
are  born  alive.  The  young  of  twenty  or  thirty 
or  more  surf-fishes  school  and  swim  together. 
Other  fishes  are  ovoviviparous,  the  eggs  being 
retained  in  the  body  until  the  young  are  hatched. 

In  the  vast  concourse  of  fishes  of  the  world 
every  possible  habit  is  seen.  Originally  all  were 
doubtless  salt-water  forms,  but  they  have  entered 
rivers  and  streams,  and  in  time  have  become 
adapted  to  their  environment.  Some  fishes, 
like  the  salmon,  enter  fresh  water  to  spawn. 
Others,  like  the  eel,  seem  to  reverse  this.  Cer- 
tain fishes  hibernate  when  water  disappears. 
Others  cross  overland  to  reach  water,  while 
the  strange  periophthalmus  and  another  genus 
leave  the  water  and  wander  along  the  shore  in 
search  of  food. 

The  fishes  are  found  at  various  depths  of 
the  ocean,  some  at  a  depth  of  several  miles 
being  blind.  Those  living  in  these  abysmal 


12  Big  Game  Fishes 

regions  are  adapted  by  nature  to  the  peculiar 
conditions.  The  pressure  where  they  live  is 
sufficient  to  powder  glass;  at  the  surface  it  is 
fifteen  pounds  per  square  inch,  but  increases 
rapidly,  so  that  at  a  mile  below  the  surface  it 
is  almost  beyond  comprehension. 

To  overcome  this  the  skeleton  of  deep-sea 
forms  is  cavernous,  porous,  and  the  water  ap- 
pears to  circulate  through  them  as  through  a 
sponge,  and  although  fierce  and  carnivorous 
creatures,  they  are  so  fragile  out  of  water  that 
when  taken  from  the  nets  they  almost  drop  in 
pieces.  The  most  remarkable  feature  of  these 
fishes  and  many  surface  forms  is  their  phos- 
phorescence, many  having  illuminating  organs 
—  torches  —  of  one  or  more  colors,  which  con- 
stitute a  part  of  the  illumination  of  the  deep  sea, 
and  serve  possibly  as  a  signal  language  by 
which  the  sexes  are  attracted,  or  predaceous 
forms  lure  their  prey.  I  have  seen  a  tuna  come 
up  at  night,  having  a  train  of  light  several  feet 
in  length,  but  this  was  due  to  the  luminous  ani- 
mals in  the  water  —  the  peridinium,  salpa,  and 
others. 

The  game  fishes  available  to  the  rod  fisher- 
man constitute  a  small  proportion  of  the  fishes, 


The  Structure  of  Game  Fishes          13 

due  to  the  fact  that  many  are  deep-water  forms, 
or  so  essentially  pelagic,  like  the  dolphin  —  a 
splendid  game  fish  —  that  it  is  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  angler  who  cannot  spend  his  time  in 
the  forechains  of  some  ship.  This  is  exempli- 
fied by  the  statement  that  nearly  all  the  avail- 
able large  oceanic  game  fishes  of  America,  except 
the  striped  bass,  are  included  in  this  volume ; 
but  as  each  is  a  game  fish  of  several  sizes,  in 
the  course  of  its  career  the  angler  finds  end- 
less variety.  He  can  begin  with  a  fly-rod  on 
a  two-pound  bluefish,  and  will  need  his  stiff 
rod  on  the  adult.  There  are  in  California  and 
Florida  an  infinite  variety  of  small  fishes,  usu- 
ally neglected,  which,  if  approached  with  a  rod, 
afford  profitable  sport. 


CHAPTER    II 

THE  WHITE   SEA-BASS 
"If  I  can  but  hold  him."  —  IZAAK  WALTON. 

THERE  is  an  element  of  chance  in  sea-angling 
found  in  no  other  sport.  I  remember  that  my 
old  boatman  on  the  St.  Lawrence  knew  every 
rock  and  shoal  in  a  thirty-mile  row  around 
Grenadier  Island  and  would  often  indicate  a 
strike  in  advance.  So  with  trout-fishing,  every 
frequenter  of  certain  streams  has  the  picture  of 
favorite  pools  photographed  on  his  memory. 
With  the  sea-angler  the  reverse  holds.  He 
"  grasps  the  skirt  of  happy  chance  "  and  boldly 
sails  out  upon  the  unknown  sea  of  Fortunatus 
without  pointer  or  tip,  with  absolutely  nothing 
except  his  inherent  luck,  upon  which  he  stakes 
his  all  on  this  happy  day. 

The  sea-angler  is  often  superstitious.  He 
has  his  whims  and  fancies.  He  assumes  that  a 
lost  fish  tells  its  companions;  that  it  is  worse 
than  useless  to  fish  on  the  ebb  tide,  and  doubts 


The  Wbite  Sea-bass  15 

not  that  certain  people,  usually  poor  gaffers, 
literally  hoodoo  the  sport.  Of  all  things,  he  is 
a  believer  in  signs  and  omens  and  especially  in 
luck.  A  strange  fetich,  this  luck,  which  every 
angler  woos  with  more  or  less  success.  "  What 
luck  ? "  shouts  a  friend  from  a  passing  boat ;  and 
if  you  have  bagged  your  game,  it  is,  "Joe,  hold  it 
up."  And  Joe  holds  forth  a  sixty-pounder,  dis- 
playing every  angle,  that  the  iron  may  enter  the 
heart  of  the  rival  boatman  in  the  other  craft, 
who  has  not  gaffed  even  a  gudgeon  that  day. 
But  if  there  is  no  luck,  no  sixty-pounder,  the 
angler  merely  pretends  not  to  hear,  and  his  boat- 
man raises  his  hands  aloft,  opening  and  closing 
his  fingers  in  a  mystic  signal  which  can  be  inter- 
preted from  six  to  ten  or  anywhere  along  the 
line.  Not  St.  Peter,  but  Ananias,  is  his  patron 
saint.  What  is  luck  ?  I  have  fished  for  hours  by 
the  side  of  a  friend,  where  rod  and  bait  seemed 
identical,  and  either  he  or  I  caught  all  the  fish 
and  had  all  the  strikes.  The  luck  was  all  on 
one  side. 

I  have  seen  a  lady,  fishing  with  two  anglers 
whose  fame  had  reached  halfway  around  the 
world,  catch  all  the  fish,  five  splendid  white  sea- 
bass,  all  over  fifty  pounds,  despite  the  fact  that 


1 6  Big  Game  Fishes 

she  had  never  held  a  rod  before.  She  used  the 
same  tackle,  the  same  bait.  Her  ungallant  com- 
panions changed  the  rod,  insisted  upon  exchang- 
ing seats,  but  they  failed  to  change  her  luck. 
From  the  time  Deucalion 

"  Did  first  the  art  invent 
Of  angling,  and  his  people  taught  the  same," 

the  uncertainty  of  fisherman's  luck  has  been 
proverbial;  but  perhaps  this  ephemeral  luck,  so 
potent  to  make  or  unmake  a  fishing  day,  has 
more  in  it  than  appears  on  the  surface.  You  as 
well  as  I  have  perhaps  often  noticed  that  the 
lucky  fisherman  is  a  person  of  method.  If  a 
fisherman  becomes  possessed  with  the  idea  that  a 
two-dollar  reel  is  as  potent  to  take  tarpon  and 
tuna  as  one  costing  fifteen  or  twenty  dollars,  that 
man  is  more  than  likely  to  attain  a  reputation  as 
having  poor  luck.  The  man  who  never  changes 
the  line  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  guides,  who 
uses  a  line  one  hundred  times,  who  has  a  theory 
that  the  ebb  tide  and  the  afternoon  are  best  for 
fishing,  is  more  than  likely  to  be  unlucky.  This 
old  man  of  the  sea,  "  hard  luck,"  will  surely  fasten 
upon  such  an  one.  You  perhaps  have  observed 
that  the  angler  who  soon  becomes  weary  of  the 


The  White  Sea-bass  17 

constant  waiting  that  is  sometimes  the  feature  of 
the  day's  luck,  and  thrusts  his  rod  beneath  his 
knee  to  read  or  drop  asleep,  is  always  a  victim  to 
poor  luck,  as  by  some  occult  eighth  or  ninth  sense 
the  fish  invariably  selects  this  exact  moment  to 
strike  the  bait,  and  it  is  always  the  largest  fish 
which  have  this  artful  discernment.  This  is  so 
infallible  a  rule,  so  well  known  among  sea- 
anglers,  that  I  have  often  changed  my  luck  and 
forced  a  record  fish  to  bite  by  merely  dropping 
my  rod  into  the  oarlock,  pretending  to  be  engaged 
in  some  minor  distraction.  The  moment  I  was 
thoroughly  involved,  my  face  deep  in  the  folds  of 
a  coat,  hoping  to  form  a  conjunction  between 
cigar  and  match,  the  fish  would  strike;  but  it 
was  a  subterfuge,  and  before  the  fish  had  taken 
ten  feet  of  line,  I  was  ready  for  the  play.  I 
deduce  from  this  that  good  luck  means  good  and 
careful  equipment,  a  good  gaffer  and  boatman, 
good  reels,  lines,  hooks,  and  the  right  kind  of  bait 
all  the  time ;  in  a  word,  the  application  to  fishing 
of  the  same  rules  which  make  one  famous  or  suc- 
cessful in  any  phase  of  life. 

It  is  worth  crossing  the  continent  in  June  from 
New  York  to  Avalon  to  sit  on  the  veranda  of 
the  hotels  and  listen  to  the  tuna  anglers,  at  the 


1 8  Big  Game  Fishes 

end  of  an  exciting  day,  explain  why  and  how  the 
fish  got  away.  It  is  always  ascribed  to  bad  luck. 
One  man  played  his  fish  three  hours,  when  his 
heart  gave  out  on  account  of  a  recent  attack  of 
grippe.  The  handle  of  a  cheap  reel  came  off. 
Ananias,  the  veteran  gaffer,  who  perchance  had 
never  gaffed  before,  forgot  to  change  the  worn 
line.  Another  angler  caught  his  line  about  a 
button  at  the  end  of  four  hours;  and  so  on. 
Anglers  "smiling  at  grief,"  yet  heaping  agony 
upon  the  back  of  patient  luck  which  brings  them 
all  their  joys. 

I  esteem  myself  a  lucky  fisherman  because  of 
one  catch,  a  white  sea-bass  which  I  took  one  rosy 
morning  at  Santa  Catalina  with  very  light  tackle 
and  in  very  good  company.  It  came  about,  as 
such  things  do,  unexpectedly.  We  were  lying  on 
the  sands  of  a  little  cove  under  the  shadow  of  a 
ridge  of  Mount  Black  Jack;  the  launch  was 
anchored  near  shore,  the  boat  hauled  up  on  the 
beach.  The  little  bay  was,  that  rare  thing  at  this 
island,  shallow,  the  bottom  sinking  gradually 
away  five,  ten,  fifteen  feet,  until  sixty  or  seventy 
feet  from  the  shore  it  dropped  into  the  channel. 
The  water  was  as  clear  as  crystal,  the  surface  as 
smooth  as  a  disk  -of  steel.  Not  a  breath  came 


The  White  Sea- bass  19 

from  the  high  rocky  ridge,  and  all  nature  seemed 
asleep.  As  my  eyes  rested  on  the  picture,  an 
ideal  place  to  play  a  fish,  the  unexpected 
happened.  Two,  three,  four,  five  fins  came  into 
view  from  behind  a  rocky  point  just  as  I  had 
been  figuring  them,  as  though  some  one  had 
given  the  cue  and  the  finny  actors  had  stepped 
out  from  the  wings  on  to  the  scene,  a  tragedy  in 
one  act.  They  moved  along  with  great  delibera- 
tion, the  big  dorsals  waving  gently  and  the  tips 
of  the  caudal  far  astern,  so  that  it  was  an  easy 
matter  to  construct  the  entire  hidden  fish.  It 
was  a  school  of  white  sea-bass,  apparently  none  of 
which  was  under  fifty  pounds.  On  they  came, 
not  twenty  feet  from  the  beach,  and,  as  I  rose, 
their  bulky  forms  were  sharply  outlined  against 
the  dark  olive-hued  bottom. 

My  rod  and  line,  baited  with  flying-fish,  was 
lying  in  the  small  boat  —  note  this  premonition 
of  coming  fisherman's  luck.  It  took  but  a  mo- 
ment to  grasp  it,  and  so  deft  and  agile  was  the 
boatman  that  my  bait,  as  he  pulled  offshore, 
crossed  the  school,  dazzling  the  very  eyes  of  the 
dignified  strollers  along  this  fishes'  rialto.  One 
at  least  resented  the  intrusion.  There  was  a 
swirl  of  waters,  a  boiling  seething  as  the  school 


20  Big  Game  Fishes 

awoke  to  the  fact  that  one  had  fisherman's  luck ; 
then  followed  a  brief  pause ;  to  swallow  a  fly- 
ing-fish one  foot  in  length,  is  not  accomplished 
at  once ;  and  I  could  see  the  monster  poising, 
swallowing  with  convulsive  gulp ;  then  feeling 
the  wire  leader,  it  shot  ahead,  and  for  an  instant 
I  gave  the  butt  to  one  of  the  finest  white  sea- 
bass  that  ever  swam,  which  when  hooked,  un- 
reeled the  line  to  a  new  music  of  the  reel.  There 
was  no  stopping  this  splendid  rush,  and  with 
thumb  trembling  on  the  pad,  the  tip  bending  to 
the  danger  point,  the  boatman  backing  with  one 
oar,  pulling  with  all  his  power  on  the  other,  to 
whirl  the  boat  around,  my  companion  breathing 
advice  and  caution  in  low  tones,  the  reel  swear- 
ing, praying,  protesting,  ah !  it  was  an  exciting 
moment,  one  of  those  critical  points  in  the  life  of 
an  angler  that  comes  but  once  and  is  gone.  "  If 
I  can  but  hold  him ! "  Walton  whispered  on  a 
similar  occasion.  If !  what  a  world  of  chance 
and  possibility  is  tied  up  in  that  small  word  !  If 
the  line  had  only  been  newer ;  if  the  leader  had 
not  been  rusty ;  if  that  knot  had  been  cut  out,  or 
if  you  only  had  taken  a  gaffer  who  did  not  lose 
his  head,  —  each  and  any  of  these  "  ifs  "  might 
have  reversed  this  day  of  happy  memory. 


The  Wbite  Sea- bass  21 

But  I  was  in  luck,  and  this  catch  has  lived  with 
me  ever  since.  Possibly  the  bass  has  grown  a 
little  every  year,  gained  a  pound  or  so  in  the  tell- 
ing, but  it  would  have  done  the  same  had  it  lived, 
and  far  be  it  from  me  to  deprive  so  noble  and 
generous  a  creature  of  any  prerogative ;  living  or 
dead,  it  shall  grow,  at  least  so  long  as  my  gaffer 
lives. 

We  have  left  the  fish  rushing  madly.  I  had 
caught  many  bass,  but  never  in  shoal  water. 
They  are  taken  almost  invariably  in  the  deep 
blue  water  along  the  rocks,  and  will  often,  like 
a  salmon,  or  almost  any  fish,  plunge  down  and 
sulk ;  but  this  fellow  could  not  sulk,  hence  was 
away,  and  when  I  checked  it,  it  dashed  around, 
circling  the  boat  so  rapidly  in  a  series  of  rushes 
that  only  by  heroic  measures  was  it  saved. 
Twice  or  more  the  dash  was  so  impetuous  that 
the  rod  was  quickly  passed  under  the  oars  of  the 
boatman  to  save  it,  he  sending  the  flat-bottom 
boat  around  on  a  pivot  in  a  desperate  attempt  to 
keep  me  facing  the  fish.  Fifteen  or  more  min- 
utes slipped  away,  the  bass  making  inshore 
rushes  to  secure  line,  with  which  to  reach  the 
deep  channel.  But  the  boatman  hugged  the 
shore,  and  by  sheer  luck  I  kept  the  plunger  in 


22  Big  Game  Fishes 

shallow  water,  where  we  could  feast  our  eyes  on 
its  every  move.  Its  bearing  off  was  splendid, 
and  so  powerful  was  the  fish  that  only  the  oars- 
man kept  it  from  going  out  to  sea  with  skiff  and 
men.  Slowly  it  came  in,  now  stopping,  beat- 
ing the  water ;  now  dashing  off  with  all  the 
line  gained  by  strenuous  endeavor,  shaking  its 
bulky  head  and  every  second  testing  line,  rod, 
and  angler.  There  was  no  Timoleon  in  that 
dancing,  whirling  craft,  to  boast  of  his  luck  and 
see  it  take  wings,  but  three  men  in  good  luck, 
who  finally  saw  the  great  fish  come  slowly  to  the 
gaff.  It  circled  the  boat  to  the  last,  and  was 
gaffed,  bearing  off  heavily,  bending  the  slender 
rod  into  a  bow  as  it  passed  the  gaffer,  still  vigor- 
ous and  full  of  fight,  beating  the  water  with  its 
big  tail,  hurling  the  foam  over  us,  literally  toss- 
ing defiance  in  our  faces  as  I  unreeled  the  line 
to  permit  the  gaffer  to  slide  it  in,  blazing  in  all 
the  colors  of  its  kind,  as  he  held  it  up  a  moment 
that  we  might  look  upon  its  splendid  proportions. 
The  actual  weight  of  this  fish  was  fifty-two 
pounds  several  hours  after  the  capture,  and  the 
time  occupied  in  its  undoing  was  nearly  half  an 
hour.  The  bass  as  it  lay  on  the  canvas  fish-bag 
was  a  picture  for  an  artist ;  nearly  four  feet  long, 


The  White  Sea-bass  23 

of  a  grayish  golden  color  above,  merging  into 
silver  upon  the  belly.  About  the  head,  the  scales 
were  iridescent,  flashing  all  the  hues  of  a  pea- 
cock, blue  and  green,  a  dazzling  creature  when 
seen  just  from  the  water.  The  fish  was  well 
proportioned,  long,  fairly  slender,  a  noble  fish, 
and  well  named  Cynoscion  nobilis  (Ayres),  the 
weakfish  of  California. 

This  bass  represents  a  genus  well  known  in 
American  waters,  about  twenty  species  having 
been  described.  It  ranges  the  coast  of  California 
even  to  Canada,  and  is  most  common  from  south 
of  Magdalena  Bay  to  Santa  Barbara;  but  it  is 
very  uncertain  in  its  movements,  and  equally  so 
in  biting.  The  season  may,  theoretically,  be  said 
to  be  from  May  i  to  July,  or  even  August,  but 
some  seasons  the  fish  is  very  rare  and  will  not 
bite ;  again  it  comes  in  numbers  and  affords 
sport  long  to  be  remembered. 

On  the  first  of  May,  1899,  with  a  fellow-angler 
ten  of  these  fishes,  all  over  fifty  pounds  in  weight, 
were  taken  between  nine  and  twelve  o'clock,  not 
one  hundred  feet  from  the  beach  in  Avalon  Bay. 
A  large  school  entered  the  bay  and  remained  ten 
days,  affording  excellent  sport.  In  our  boat,  my 
companion  and  I  each  hooked  a  large  fish  at  the 


24  Big  Game  Fishes 

same  moment.  One  rushed  ahead,  the  other 
darted  astern,  and  we  were  at  once  involved  in  a 
most  spirited  tug  of  war,  which  resulted  in  the 
loss  of  one  fish.  At  one  time  twenty  or  thirty 
small  boats  were  fishing,  and  sometimes  half  of 
these  would  have  bass  hooked  at  the  same  time ; 
the  scene  as  the  big  fish  towed  the  boats  about, 
the  cries  and  shouts  as  lines  were  parted  or  rods 
succumbed,  being  a  most  animated  one.  I  recall 
one  rush  of  a  bass  hooked  by  a  lady,  which  towed 
the  boat  almost  entirely  across  the  bay  before 
the  fish  could  be  checked,  the  game  later  tip- 
ping the  scale  at  eighty  pounds. 

The  large  bass  I  took  in  the  little  shallow  bay 
was  caught  with  much  lighter  tackle  than  gener- 
ally used,  the  line  being  a  number  fifteen  cutty- 
hunk,  which  I  commend,  as  the  fish,  with  proper 
care,  can  be  caught  with  even  a  smaller  line,  if 
in  moderately  shallow  water.  The  only  draw- 
back to  very  light  lines  is  the  fact  that  the  sulk- 
ing fish  must  be  lifted  at  times,  when  a  little 
carelessness  will  break  the  line.  Better  lose  all 
than  to  slay  so  gamy  a  creature  with  a  hand-line 
or  anything  larger  than  a  twenty-one-thread  line. 

In  the  matter  of  rods,  a  seven-  or  eight-foot  rod 
weighing  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  ounces,  of  split 


The  White  Sea-bass  25 

bamboo,  greenheart,  or  any  good  wood,  is  em- 
ployed. I  have  used  light  rods  for  these  fishes, 
which  compare  with  the  striped  bass  of  the  East ; 
in  fact,  the  white  sea-bass  takes  the  place  of  the 
latter  as  a  sport  in  Southern  California,  but  I 
have  fished  with  a  much  lighter  rod  for  my  fifty- 
pounders  than  is  used  for  a  striped-bass  of  this 
weight  at  Cuttyhunk  and  elsewhere.  As  a  matter 
of  fair  play,  the  rod  should  be  seven  or  eight  feet 
long;  and  if  the  water  was  always  shallow,  longer 
ones  could  be  used.  At  the  islands  where  these 
fishes  most  do  congregate,  the  water  is  often  ex- 
tremely deep  and  blue  a  stone's  toss  from  the 
beach,  and  a  sulking  fish  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  down  must  often  be  considered  after  a  rush ; 
hence  the  rod  must  be  sufficiently  stiff  to  enable 
the  angler  to  bring  it  to  the  surface.  The  major- 
ity of  the  catches  are  made  in  the  bays,  in  fairly 
shallow  water,  and  as  the  well-equipped  angler 
will  have  several  rods  he  can  adapt  himself  to 
circumstances.  The  line  should  be  a  number 
fifteen,  or  smaller,  despite  the  size  of  the  fish, 
if  the  latter  is  to  have  the  advantage,  which 
of  course  is  essential ;  and  the  hook,  a  9/0  Lim- 
erick, or  an  O'Shaughnessy,  or  any  good  hook 
of  this  size,  with  a  piano-wire  leader  a  foot  in 


26  Big  Game  Fishes 

length ;  gut  or  salmon  leader  is  soon  worn  off 
by  the  fine  teeth  of  this  noble  Cynoscion.  The 
bait,  if  a  smelt,  six  inches  in  length,  is  impaled 
through  the  mouth,  the  point  thrust  into  the 
belly  of  the  fish,  and  the  mouth  of  the  latter 
bound  or  closed  and  fastened  to  the  shank  of  the 
hook  by  a  silver  wire,  which  should  be  attached 
to  every  hook;  it  prevents  the  bait  from  whirl- 
ing and  the  line  from  untwisting.  The  leader 
should  bear  at  least  two  swivels.  Spoons,  and 
all  kinds  of  artificial  baits,  are  useless,  at  least 
in  my  long  and  continued  experience,  the  fancy 
of  the  great  bass  —  and  the  term  bass  is  a  local- 
ism —  being  for  very  large  baits,  as  the  flying-fish 
or  smelt,  a  prodigious  lure  for  even  so  large  a 
fish. 

In  searching  for  this  game  the  boatman  rows 
along  the  rocky  shores  of  the  islands  in  perfectly 
smooth  water,  not  sixty  feet  from  the  high  mas- 
sive cliffs  which  merge  into  mountains.  Often 
the  strike  comes  within  a  few  feet  of  the  rocks  ;  yet 
the  water  may  be  two  hundred  feet  in  depth,  so 
precipitous  are  the  shores,  blue  water  being  found 
at  the  very  portals.  Again  little  bays  are  entered, 
the  mouths  of  deep  canons  which  wind  upward, 
the  great  bass  being  fond  of  such  places ;  and  in 


The  Wbite  Sea-bass  27 

the  larger  bays,  as  the  Isthmus,  the  angler  can 
sometimes  go  ashore  and  cast  from  the  beach,  and 
land  these  splendid  fishes  under  ideal  conditions. 
The  method  of  fishing  en  regie  is  to  troll 
slowly,  with  sardine,  smelt,  or  flying-fish  bait, 
just  outside  the  kelp.  The  fish  comes  in  small 
schools,  almost  always  swims  on  the  surface, 
and  can  be  recognized  at  once  by  its  dorsal 
fins  above  water.  It  frequents  little  bays  or 
indentures  in  the  kelp,  and  I  have  taken  it  by 
lying  off  and  casting  forty  or  fifty  feet.  Even 
the  tremendous  bait,  a  whole  flying-fish,  dropped 
into  a  school,  does  not  alarm  them,  as  this  is 
the  habit  of  the  flying-fishes,  to  drop  with  a 
crash.  The  solidity  of  these  fishes,  the  diffi- 
culty to  move  them,  can  be  illustrated  by  an 
incident.  A  boatman  took  my  rod  while  I  was 
fishing  for  larger  game  and  cast  it  into  a  school, 
where  it  was  immediately  seized  by  a  large 
bass.  The  man  struck  so  heavily  that  the  rod 
broke  off  just  above  the  butt,  the  fish  not  being 
moved  by  the  shock.  Of  course  the  break  was 
entirely  unnecessary,  but  it  illustrates  the  point. 
I  have  been  most  successful  in  taking  this  bass 
by  following  large  schools  of  sardines  upon 
which  they  prey.  The  bass  chase  them  in,  tak- 


28  Big  Game  Fishes 

ing  their  position  beneath  them,  a  huge  fish 
being  occasionally  seen  by  the  angler  down 
through  a  funnel  of  sardines  as  the  line  sinks. 
In  May  or  the  latter  part  of  April  one  or 
two  large  schools  of  sardines  enter  the  bay  of 
Avalon  to  spawn,  and  their  numbers  are  so  vast 
and  so  closely  do  they  lie,  that  they  form  an 
almost  solid  mass.  Into  this  I  cast  an  empty 
hook,  and  when  it  is  out  of  sight  a  slight  jerk 
is  sufficient  to  impale  a  sardine,  which  becomes 
the  most  active  of  lures.  The  sardines  do  not 
appear  to  notice  the  hook,  but  the  struggles 
of  the  live  bait  alarm  them  so  that  they  form 
a  solid  ring  about  it.  Down  it  sinks  until  it 
reaches  the  lower  stratum  of  the  school,  when 
it  will  be  seized  by  the  watchful  bass  that 
apparently  cannot  resist  the  struggling  fish. 

The  white  sea-bass  at  Santa  Catalina  average 
about  forty  or  fifty  pounds,  small  ones  being 
more  or  less  rare.  Specimens  weighing  eighty 
pounds  have  been  caught  with  cast  or  hand 
lines;  the  rod  record  is  fifty-six  pounds.  In 
the  San  Francisco  market  bass  weighing  sixty, 
seventy,  and  eighty  pounds  are  not  uncommon, 
and  doubtless  the  fish  attains  a  maximum  weight 
of  one  hundred  or  more  pounds. 


The  White  Sea-bass  29 

The  spawning  season  is  in  June  and  July, 
the  young,  which  are  found  in  San  Diego,  New- 
port, and  San  Pedro  (California)  waters,  are 
supposed  to  be  different  fish,  and  are  known 
as  sea-trout.  The  young  resemble  the  adults, 
but  have  three  or  four  black  or  dusky  stripes. 
The  fins  are  darker  than  in  the  adult,  and  the 
pectoral  fin  bears  at  its  base  a  blotch  of  color 
more  or  less  distinct.  The  young,  or  sea-trout, 
afford  excellent  sport  with  an  eight-ounce  split 
bamboo.  The  angler  who  desires  to  try  them 
should  engage  from  the  bait-catchers  very  small 
sardines  or  smelt,  and  use  a  number  two  Sproat 
hook,  or  any  hook  of  that  size. 

The  white  sea-bass  swim  in  long  lines,  four 
or  five  in  a  column,  move  leisurely,  and  impress 
one  by  their  dignity  and  beauty.  I  confess 
to  never  having  caught  one  but  I  was  tempted 
to  release  it.  They  rank  among  the  fine  table 
fishes  of  the  Pacific  coast,  baked  white  sea-bass 
of  a  large  size  with  a  dash  of  port  being  a  savory 
dish.  The  misnamed  sea-trout  are  delicious. 
They  should  be  served  whole,  broiled  or  baked. 
When  cut  into  slices  and  disguised  with  some 
individuality-killing  sauce,  they  might  be  called 
by  any  name  and  would  be  quite  as  unpalatable. 


30  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  white  sea-bass  is  eminently  sociable,  and 
if  the  angler  remains  quiet,  the  passing  school 
will  merely  divide  at  the  anchor  rope  of  the 
boat:  I  have  inadvertently  touched  one  with 
an  oar.  At  such  a  time,  looking  down,  the 
water  appears  rilled  with  the  splendid  fish,  which 
resemble  gigantic  salmon,  and  often  their  utter 
contempt  for  all  kinds  of  bait  is  maddening 
to  the  most  philosophical  angler. 

In  the  Gulf  of  California  a  large  species  of 
this  genus  is  found,  known  to  science  as  Cyno- 
scion  macdonaldi  and  called  at  Guaymas  totu- 
ava.  It  is  a  stouter,  bulkier  fish  than  C.  nobilis, 
and  exceeds  it  in  size.  An  old  boatman  who 
had  wandered  up  the  Gulf  informed  me  that 
he  had  caught  these  fish  weighing  two  or  three 
hundred  pounds,  but  he  probably  confused  it 
with  the  Gulf  jewfish.  There  is  a  record  of 
a  fish  which  weighed  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  pounds,  hence  two  hundred  pounds  is  pos- 
sible. A  friend  who  fished  for  them  at  San 
Jorgas  Bay,  not  far  from  the  island  of  Tiburon, 
considered  them  identical  with  C.  nobilis,  and 
supposed  it  was  the  same  fish;  but  instead  of 
averaging  forty  or  fifty  pounds  the  fish  he  caught 
tipped  the  scales  at  eighty  pounds.  At  San 


The  White  Sea-bass  31 

Jorgas  Bay  there  is  a  very  high  tide,  and  behind 
the  flood  follow  the  schools  of  white  sea-bass 
which  have  been  named  by  Dr.  Gilbert  after  Mr. 
Marshall  Macdonald,  United  States  Commissioner 
of  Fish  and  Fisheries.  The  marked  difference 
between  the  two  fishes  that  would  be  noticed  by 
the  angler  appears  to  be  that  in  the  latter  the 
snout  is  sharp,  while  in  C.  nobilis  the  head  is 
long,  snout  long  and  sharp.  In  C.  macdonaldi 
there  are  about  fifty-five  pores ;  in  nobilis,  seventy 
or  eighty. 

The  Gulf  bass  is  the  giant  of  its  tribe,  and 
can  be  found  in  vast  numbers  on  the  shores 
of  the  east  coast,  even  entering  the  mouth  of 
the  Colorado  River.  The  young  are  dusky  and 
silvery,  and  instead  of  stripes,  as  in  nobilis,  have, 
according  to  Dr.  Gilbert,  "  coarse  black  specks 
along  the  lower  part  of  the  head  and  sides," 
there  being  no  disposition  to  form  streaks  or 
bands.  It  is  caught  at  San  Jorgas  Bay  in  April 
and  May,  and  according  to  Dr.  Gilbert  is  not 
known  at  Guaymas  in  summer,  having  probably 
migrated  far  up  the  Gulf,  where  vast  schools 
of  mullet  afford  an  ample  food  supply.  The 
angler  who  desires  to  take  this  fish  will  find 
San  Jorgas  hot  in  summer,  but  pleasant  in  the 


32  Big  Game  Fishes 

spring.  The  settling  up  the  country  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Colorado  will  undoubtedly  develop 
a  new  field  for  the  angler  and  sportsman  in  this 
section  of  California  or  Mexico. 

A  smaller  species  of  white  sea-bass,  C.  parvi- 
pinnis,  is  known  as  sea-trout  and  bluefish  along 
the  Californian  coast,  and  has  been  found  from 
Mazatlan  to  San  Luis  Obispo.  At  Newport,  San 
Pedro,  and  Avalon  it  is  a  valuable  fish,  taken  in 
nets  and  often  caught  by  anglers.  The  largest 
specimen  I  have  landed  weighed  about  twelve  or 
fourteen  pounds,  and  was  about  two  feet  long.  It 
differs  in  appearance  from  the  other  species.  Its 
back  is  a  decided  blue,  resembling  that  of  the  yel- 
lowtail  out  of  water.  The  body  is  long  and  slen- 
der, with  a  striking  resemblance  to  its  cousin  the 
Eastern  weakfish.  Altogether,  with  its  vivid 
silvery  belly,  blue  back,  yellow  lower  fins,  it  is  one 
of  the  most  attractive  of  the  Southern  Californian 
fishes  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  man  with  the 
rod.  It  is  not  a  common  catch,  and  is  taken  with 
small  sardines  with  rod,  line,  and  hooks  described 
for  sea-trout.  All  these  fishes  are  the  Pacific 
representatives  of  the  Atlantic  weakfish,  or 
squeteague,  C.  regalis,  which  every  sea-angler 
has  taken  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  GRAY   SNAPPER 

"  First  let  your  rod  be  light  and  very  gentle.  I  take  the  best 
to  be  two  pieces."  —  IZAAK  WALTON. 

WHERE  keys  like  emeralds  in  settings  of  silver 
seem  to  float  on  seas  of  lapis  lazuli,  where  chan- 
nels of  turquoise  wind  in  and  about  the  coral  reef 
and  soft  trade  winds  sough  through  palm,  man- 
grove, and  bay  cedar,  there  is  the  home  of  the 
gray  snapper  of  the  outer  reef,  the  most  cun- 
ning and  gallant  fish  in  its  mature  condition,  that 
swims  in  any  sea,  the  most  difficult  to  catch,  and 
one  of  the  most  beautiful. 

I  first  became  a  victim  to  the  wiles  and  snares 
of  the  gray  snapper  far  out  on  the  Florida  reef 
where  the  last  key  looks  into  the  west.  Here  a 
maze  of  coral  reefs  once  reached  the  surface.  A 
mangrove  seed  came  drifting  in  the  stream, 
lodged  in  the  shallows,  took  root  and  grew.  To 
the  angler  coming  from  the  east,  following  the 
sun,  this  resultant  isolated  grove  forming  Bush 

»  33 


34  Big  Game  Fishes 

Key,  rising  apparently  from  the  sea,  is  the  first 
intimation  that  Garden  Key  and  its  satellites  are 
in  sight.  Soon  other  keys  appear,  low  sandy 
islands,  capped  with  vivid  greens  —  bay  cedar 
and  cactus  —  between  which  winds  a  channel  so 
deep  and  narrow,  so  blue  and  beautiful  in  its  clear- 
ness, that  the  angler  in  this  out-of-the-way  corner 
may  well  wonder  by  what  trick  of  nature  it  was 
formed.  It  surrounds  Garden  Key,  being  in  turn 
hedged  by  an  outer  fringing  reef  upon  which  the 
sea  breaks ;  now  in  soft  monotone,  or  when  a 
norther  rises,  forming  a  vast  semicircle  of  foam 
from  which  rise  weird  and  terrifying  sounds,  the 
grinding  and  gnashing  of  the  teeth  of  the  reef,  as 
the  dead  coral  heads  are  rolled  hither  and  yon  by 
the  incoming  and  receding  waves. 

In  the  nooks  and  corners  of  this  channel  the 
gray  snapper  makes  its  home,  and  that  it  has 
the  love  of  locality  strongly  developed,  the  home 
instinct  if  you  will,  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
week  after  week,  month  after  month,  certain 
fishes  are  found  in  the  same  places.  A  certain 
wreck  was  a  favorite  spot  where  the  gray  snap- 
pers congregated.  The  old  ship  had  long  since 
disappeared  below  the  surface,  but  her  huge  tim- 
bers still  projected  from  the  sand,  forming  a  cover- 


The  Gray  Snapper  35 

ing  or  protected  shelf  about  which  the  fishes  de- 
lighted to  lie  in  water  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  in 
depth.  In  general  appearance  the  gray  snapper 
resembles  the  black  bass,  but  is  longer  and  more 
slender.  Its  tints  are  a  delicate  gray,  or  green,  in 
the  shallows  often  adapted  to  the  soft  mauve  of 
the  bottom,  or  in  deeper  waters  affecting  in  a 
general  way  the  more  brilliant  hues  of  its  sur- 
roundings —  the  reddish  and  yellow  gorgonias  or 
browns  of  the  sea-plumes.  Its  eye  is  extremely 
beautiful ;  rich  in  browns  with  a  brilliant  flash  of 
blue  and  at  times  red ;  an  eye  which  follows 
every  movement  of  the  angler  and  is  at  once 
critical  and  expressive. 

The  first  vision  of  these  fishes  was  my  undoing. 
I  never  rested  until  I  had  taken  one,  a  consum- 
mation which  came  only  after  days  of  patient 
endeavor.  I  was  drifting  along  shore,  looking 
downward  from  the  rail  of  the  dinghy,  when  it 
floated  over  the  old  wreck,  where,  circling  slowly 
about,  were  a  dozen  or  more  gray  snappers.  They 
ranged  from  one  to  two  and  three  feet  in  length, 
well  proportioned,  graceful,  the  type  of  all  that  is 
beautiful  in  a  fish.  Their  movements  were  dig- 
nified and  impressive,  and  there  was  a  suggestive- 
ness  of  reserve  power,  as  in  the  black  bass,  which 


36  Big  Game  Fishes 

made  one  eager  for  the  contest.  Stopping  the 
dinghy,  I  anchored  and  cast  my  bait,  a  piece  of 
white  conch  (Strombu s  gigas),  the  favorite  grouper 
bait  on  the  reef,  in  their  midst.  It  was  a  striking 
dainty,  standing  out  in  the  brilliantly  colored 
water  like  ivory,  and  was  at  once  seized  by 
grunts,  porgies,  angel-fishes,  and  others,  and 
jerked  and  bandied  about  in  a  manner  that  would 
have  been  irresistible  to  many  fishes  ;  but  to  my 
surprise,  the  snappers  paid  absolutely  no  attention 
to  it.  I  could  see  every  movement,  being  directly 
over  them,  and  they  were  not  disturbed  in  the 
slightest  from  the  even  tenor  of  their  way.  I 
then  tried  crayfish,  breaking  the  tail  shell  side- 
wise  and  taking  the  meat  out  entire,  selecting 
the  lower  end  with  its  inviting  tints  of  scarlet. 
Of  all  baits  in  tropical  waters  this  is  the  most 
alluring  and  irresistible.  Not  a  fish  which  I 
recall,  save  the  barracuda,  but  can  be  seduced 
into  biting  it,  and  as  it  dropped  slowly,  out 
sprang  a  timid  parrot-fish  and  seized  it,  dashing 
away  followed  by  the  grunts,  chaetodons,  and 
other  courtiers  which  constituted  the  train  of 
the  gray  snapper,  that  seemed  to  look  with  scorn 
upon  the  smaller  fry  so  easily  deceived.  I  scat- 
tered crayfish  bait  over  the  water,  arousing  the 


I 


Tbe  Gray  Snapper  37 

entire  community  of  the  wreck  to  a  frenzy  in 
their  attempts  to  reach  the  bait.  Staid  old  grunts 
performed  miracles  of  agility,  in  vying  with  the 
parrot-fishes;  the  great  black  and  white  angel- 
fishes,  timid  ordinarily  to  a  painful  degree,  dashed 
at  the  delicious  morsels ;  a  long  spotted  moray 
dragged  itself  from  the  lower  story  of  the  wreck, 
and  I  could  see  by  the  rapid  vibration  of  their 
whips  that  even  the  crayfishes,  which  were  backed 
into  sandy  cells,  were  discussing  the  propriety  of 
taking  the  chances  and  joining  the  melee. 

I  had  been  spending  a  part '  of  nearly  every 
day  upon  the  reef  fishing  or  floating  over  the 
beds  of  olive-green  coral,  but  now  gave  up  other 
piscatorial  pursuits  and  devoted  myself  to  the 
gray  snapper.  I  fished  early  and  late,  even  at 
night.  I  tried  them  at  the  flood  and  quarter  ebb, 
with  light  lines  and  dark,  with  baits  whose  variety 
would  have  arrested  the  attention  of  the  ghost  of 
Walton.  I  laid  at  their  shrine  young  mullets,  live 
shad  (Xystaema),  gigantic  shrimps;  caught  at  great 
expense  of  time  and  patience  luscious  sea- worms; 
excavated  from  the  deep  mud  the  soft  portions  of 
the  rare  queen  conch  clams,  —  not  the  base-born 
bivalve  of  commerce,  but  a  brilliant,  radiant  crea- 
ture of  dazzling  hues.  In  desperation,  I  even 


38  Big  Game  Fishes 

whipped  the  glassy  water  with  flies,  but  in  these 
early  days  of  strenuous  endeavor  I  doubt  if  I 
once  attracted  the  serious  attention  of  the  gray 
snappers.  Briefly,  they  ignored  me,  and  the  iron 
was  entering  my  very  soul  when  one  day  as  I  lay 
prone  upon  the  beach,  my  line  in  hand,  a  Sacrata 
boy  named  Paublo,  who  later  became  my  boat- 
man, came  wading  along  with  a  cast-net  slung 
over  his  naked  shoulders,  stopped,  followed  my 
line  out,  and  as  his  bloodshot  eyes  rested  on  the 
snappers  he  innocently  asked  why  I  did  not 
fish  for  them.  There  are  times  when  the  aver- 
age angler  finds  solace  in  an  appeal  to  high 
Olympus;  whether  I  did  on  this  occasion,  or 
even  added  to  my  humiliation  by  taking  Paublo 
into  my  confidence,  is  immaterial.  My  reply 
must  have  suggested  that  a  doubt  dwelt  in  my 
mind  that  a  gray  snapper  could  be  caught,  where- 
upon my  companion  proceeded  to  initiate  me  into 
the  art.  He  waded  up  the  beach  and  with  his 
small  bait-catcher,  a  cimeter-like  iron  barrel  hoop, 
cut  down  a  number  of  sardine-like  fishes  an  inch 
and  a  half  in  length,  which  he  called  "  hard  heads." 
From  his  shanty  near  by,  upon  which  roosted 
three  tame  asthmatic  pelicans,  he  brought  a  line 
of  a  pale  blue  color  of  about  twenty-eight  strands, 


The  Gray  Snapper  39 

soft  and  pliable,  having  been  well  stretched  before 
and  after  use.  To  this  he  attached  a  leader  of 
very  fine  and  pliable  copper  wire  over  four  feet 
in  length,  and  upon  the  long-shanked  6/0  steel 
Limerick  hook,  impaled  through  the  eyes  six  or 
seven  "  hard  heads  " ;  then  with  a  graceful  move- 
ment he  cast  the  bait,  so  that  it  sank  gently 
eight  or  ten  feet  from  the  wreck  where  the  gray 
snappers  were  poising.  It  had  no  attractions  for 
the  small  fry  which  rushed  at  it,  nosed  it,  and 
retired.  Then  Paublo  began  a  manipulation  of 
the  line,  imparting  to  the  bunch  of  silver  upon 
the  bottom  a  tremulous  motion.  The  bait  ap- 
peared to  be  a  small  school  of  sardines  feeding ; 
the  simulation  was  marvellous,  and  had  immediate 
effect.  A  large  snapper  suddenly  caught  sight 
of  the  struggling  mass  and  turning  gracefully, 
moved  forward,  stopping  within  an  inch  of  the 
lure,  backing  water  with  its  caudal  fin,  its  dorsal 
rigid,  its  eyes  probably  blazing. 

Breathing  hard,  Paublo  whispered,  "  Did  yo' 
see  datcher  snapper,  mawster  ? " 

Again  the  bait  rested,  as  the  suspicious  fish 
backed  away  and  the  long  wire  disappeared  in 
the  sand.  The  snapper  now  swam  around,  keep- 
ing its  eyes  upon  it,  moving  nearer  and  nearer 


40  Big  Game  Fishes 

until  a  deep  shadow  took  shape  over  it  and  a  big 
dun-colored  shark  appeared  upon  the  scene,  pass- 
ing over  the  bait,  then  stopping  as  it  caught  the 
scent,  driving  away  every  living  thing  in  and 
about  that  particular  wreck. 

The  lesson  was  not  lost,  and  on  the  following 
day,  with  a  fresh  supply  of  "  hard  heads,"  which 
Paublo  cut  down  for  me  with  his  sabre,  I  again 
essayed  the  gray  snappers.  I  fitted  my  light  rod 
with  a  new  and  approved  line  and  the  long 
copper  leader,  then  cast  into  the  magic  circle  of 
the  gray  poseurs.  As  the  bait  touched  the  bottom 
I  worked  the  line  and  leader  into  the  sand,  imitat- 
ing the  methods  of  my  sable  mentor.  It  was 
now  irresistible,  and  a  large  snapper  moved  at  the 
lure,  stopping  as  did  the  other,  like  a  Mexican 
who  rides  full  speed  at  a  stone  wall,  turns  on  the 
instant  and  touches  it  deftly.  I  had  witnessed 
the  feat,  and  the  rush  and  sudden  halt  of  the 
snapper  was  a  vivid  imitation.  Its  movements 
were  so  forcible  that  the  current  of  water  partly 
turned  the  bait,  which  I  could  see  from  the  high 
ledge  of  dead  coral  rock  upon  which  I  was  stand- 
ing five  or  six  feet  above.  Never  was  more  cun- 
ning, more  diplomacy,  displayed.  The  fish  was 
fascinated,  but  it  swam  over  the  wire  a  score  of 


The  Gray  Snapper  41 

times,  turning  to  scrutinize  it,  and  failing  to  see 
it,  returning  to  the  bait,  swimming  about  it  again 
and  again,  a  picture  of  grace  and  buoyant  life. 
Now  it  deliberately  approached  and  nosed  the 
lure,  lifting  the  "  hard  heads  "  slightly  as  though 
searching  for  the  hook;  then  it  swam  away,  to 
my  despair,  and  joined  the  complacent  school 
which  poised  and  circled  gracefully  near  by.  But 
a  vigorous  movement  imparted  to  the  line  sum- 
moned the  snapper  again,  and  with  a  single  low 
rush  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  it  seized  the  bait,  which 
it  shook  as  might  an  angry  dog,  and  rose  slowly, 
with  fins  en  charge,  while  I  overran  the  line. 
Higher  it  swam,  rising  slowly  into  the  empyrean 
of  the  waters ;  then  with  a  sudden  gulp  it  at- 
tempted to  swallow  the  bait,  felt  the  wire,  and 
charged  the  blue  waters  of  the  channel  to  the 
melody  of  the  reel,  that,  like  the  baying  hound 
on  fresh  scent,  repays  the  hunter  for  hours  of 
weary  waiting. 

The  rush  was  out  and  away  into  the  deep  blue 
heart  of  the  channel,  every  other  snapper  disap- 
pearing at  the  charge  ;  and  fifty  or  sixty  feet  of 
line  were  lost  before  I  stopped  the  fish.  Then 
it  was  a  battle  to  the  finish,  with  finesse,  cunning, 
and  wariness  on  the  part  of  the  game.  I  appre- 


42  Big  Game  Fishes 

ciated  the  delight  of  the  old  monarch  at  the 
discovery  of  a  new  pleasure,  for  here  was  some- 
thing novel  in  sea  angling.  It  was  six  or  seven 
three-  or  four-pound  black  bass  in  one,  rushing  to 
the  surface,  breaking  the  water  into  crystal  spray, 
plunging  down,  and  bearing  against  the  deadly 
reel  in  a  long  splendid  lateral  surge.  Repeatedly 
the  fish  broke  away  from  me,  tearing  the  line 
from  the  reel,  then  dashing  in,  in  an  attempt  to 
reach  the  old  wreck,  where  on  rusted  iron  it 
might  sever  the  delicate  line, — fortunately  to 
be  checked  by  my  run  up  the  beach. 

In  and  out,  giving  and  taking,  I  played  this 
gamy  creature ;  and  it  played  me  for  twenty  min- 
utes, now  near  shore,  again  leading  me  out  into 
the  shallows  until  at  one  stage  of  the  sport  I  was 
waist-deep,  literally  hanging  over  the  edge  of  the 
channel,  prepared  to  swim  rather  than  lose  this 
splendid  fish  which  had  unreeled  every  inch  of 
the  all  too  short  line.  But  the  gods  which  watch 
over  the  fortunes  of  the  angler  were  with  me, 
and  I  slowly  backed  the  snapper  into  shallow 
water,  then,  having  no  gaff,  and  no  gaffer  to 
witness  my  triumph,  reeled  and  led  it  inshore, 
holding  it  at  short  line,  while  I  admired  its  beau- 
tiful proportions.  It  rolled  its  eyes  at  me  in 


The  Gray  Snapper  43 

protest,  I  fancied,  and  it  was  beyond  my  philoso- 
phy to  kill  such  a  rare  fighter ;  so  I  carefully  cut 
out  the  hook  and  released  my  quarry  as  Paublo 
came  running  down  the  beach,  grains  in  hand 
in  lieu  of  gaff-hook.  That  he  questioned  my 
sanity  I  have  no  doubt,  but  that  was  not  all. 

"Why,  mawster,"  he  exclaimed,  "datcher  snap- 
per gwine  tell  all  de  res'.  Yo'  ain't  gwine  to  git 
no  mo'  fishin'  dis  day."  Which  was  true  for 
many  a  day  at  that  spot. 

But  I  was  satisfied.  I  had  outgeneralled  and 
caught  what  must  have  been  a  twenty-five-pound 
snapper,  at  least  Paublo,  who  saw  it  swimming 
off,  placed  its  weight  at  nearly  twice  that  figure, 
and  when  I  pressed  him  for  logical  reasons  for 
his  assumption,  he  said  it  was  "de  scales  on  de 
snapper's  back  dun  tole  him." 

There  may  be  a  difference  in  the  game  qualities 
of  gray  snappers  in  different  localities.  The 
deep-water  specimens  in  fifteen  or  twenty  fath- 
oms are  caught  much  easier,  and  at  Marquesas 
and  Key  West  I  took  them  in  shallow  water 
with  crayfish,  when  sardines  or  "  hard  heads " 
were  not  to  be  had,  but  always  found  them 
thoroughly  game.  Even  the  small  fishes  from 
two  to  four  pounds  afforded  excellent  sport, 


44  Big  Game  Fishes 

readily  taking  crayfish.  All  were  cunning,  and 
well  deserved  the  name  of  sea  lawyer. 

The  gray  snapper,  Lutianus  griseus  (Linn.),  has 
a  wide  range,  having  been  observed  as  far  north 
as  New  Jersey,  though  it  is  not  a  common  visitor, 
and  as  far  south  as  Brazil,  ranging  east  to  the 
African  coast.  At  Bermuda  it  is  common  and 
attains  a  large  size,  individuals  from  fifty  to  sixty 
pounds  having  been  caught  near  Hamilton  by 
friends  of  mine,  and  I  have  heard  of  larger  speci- 
mens. The  largest  gray  snapper  I  took  on  the 
outer  Florida  reef  weighed  thirty  pounds,  and 
this  was  exceptional,  the  average  weight  being 
from  seven  to  fifteen  pounds. 

I  believe  with  the  gray  snappers  there  is  a 
certain  but  limited  movement  into  deeper  water 
in  the  winter  months.  In  summer  large  indi- 
viduals are  frequently  found  about  mangrove 
roots  in  from  five  to  ten  feet  of  water.  Along 
the  coast  of  Florida,  the  spawning  season  is  from 
about  June  15  to  August  15.  The  young  are 
found  almost  anywhere,  as  gamy  as  trout,  I 
discovered,  and  among  the  most  attractive  and 
interesting  fishes  of  the  reef  from  the  fact  that 
they  would  allow  me  to  approach  so  near  that  I 
could  almost  touch  them. 


The  Gray  Snapper  45 

The  fact  that  the  gray  snapper  affects  com- 
paratively shallow  water  makes  it  especially  avail- 
able to  rod  fishermen.  It  frequents  old  wharves 
and  similar  places.  It  is  difficult  to  describe  the 
color  of  the  living  snapper.  I  have  taken  indi- 
viduals showing  great  variety  of  tints,  but,  as  a 
rule,  the  deeper  the  water  the  more  brilliant  the 
coloring.  Some  fishes  are  a  dark  greenish  hue, 
the  centre  of  the  scales  showing  a  burnished 
black,  the  lower  portion  being  a  reddish  coppery 
hue,  very  brilliant,  giving  the  entire  fish  a  sug- 
gestion of  red  golden  bronze.  Others,  and  par- 
ticularly large  specimens,  taken  by  me  at  Garden 
Key,  where  the  bottom  was  gray  sand,  were 
almost  pure  gray,  suggestive  of  the  specific  name 
griseus  given  the  fish  by  Linnaeus. 

An  interesting  and  very  gamy  snapper,  a  valu- 
able food  fish,  at  nearly  all  the  West  India 
Islands  and  Florida  keys,  is  known  as  the  dog 
snapper  (Lutianus  jocu).  Its  habits  are  similar 
to  those  of  the  gray  snapper.  The  latter  is 
at  the  head,  so  far  as  game  qualities  are  con- 
cerned, of  a  large  group  of  snappers,  comprised 
in  the  family  Lutianidae,  and  is  the  largest,  but 
its  many  relatives  —  and  the  famous  red  snapper, 
L^ltianus  aya  —  afford  excellent  sport  on  the  reef, 


46  Big  Game  Fishes 

and  the  red  snapper  as  far  north  as  Fernandina. 
The  latter  is  a  deep-water  fish,  found  at  vari- 
ous points  in  depressions  in  the  bottom,  and 
is  not  available  for  the  rod  unless  one  wishes 
to  reel  in  a  fish  in  water  from  seventy-five  to  two 
hundred  feet  in  depth.  With  the  hand  or  cast 
line  it  proves  a  hard-fighting  and  gamy  fish.  I 
have  had  excellent  fishing  for  the  red  snapper 
north  of  Middle  Key,  Florida  reef.  The  line  was 
rigged  with  a  heavy  sinker,  the  hook  with  a 
strong  six-inch  leader  being  two  or  three  feet 
above  it,  the  reason  for  which  was  that  if  the 
sinker  entered  coral  or  gorgonias,  the  bait  would 
swing  clear  above.  At  various  points  along  the 
Gulf  coast  off  Florida  and  off  Fernandina,  the 
mouths  of  the  St.  Johns  and  St.  Marys,  red- 
snapper  banks  are  found,  being  well  known  to 
local  and  professional  fishermen.  The  so-called 
red-snapper  banks  are  met  with  all  along  the 
Gulf  coast  around  to  Texas  and  beyond.  The 
"  banks,"  which  are  really  depressions  in  the 
sandy  floor  of  the  gulf,  range  in  depth  from 
ninety  to  two  hundred  feet.  On  the  outer  reef 
conch  was  a  favorite  bait,  but  the  fish  are  by  no 
means  epicures,  and  fish  bait  is  the  ordinary  lure. 
Off  Middle  Key  fish  were  found  in  spawn  in 


The  Gray  Snapper  47 

May,  but  I  never  saw  a  young  red  snapper  at  this 
point.  On  the  upper  coast  Silas  Sterns  has 
found  them  with  well-developed  ovaries  in  April, 
May,  June,  and  July. 

On  the  reef  about  Marquesas,  between  Key 
West  and  Tortugas,  and  at  the  latter  key,  I  have 
taken  large  specimens  of  what  the  fishermen 
called  the  green  snapper,  Lutianus  analis  (Cu- 
vier  and  Val.).  It  has  much  the  range  of  the 
gray  snapper,  and  is  a  hard-fighting  fish,  attain- 
ing forty  pounds,  though  I  recall  but  one  fish  of 
this  size,  the  average  being  much  smaller.  It  is 
a  very  attractive  fish,  richly  colored,  the  general 
tone  a  dark  olive-green,  but  subject  to  much 
variation,  red,  blue,  purple,  rose,  and  even  scarlet 
being  conspicuous  colors  in  its  make-up.  The  iris 
is  brick-red,  the  eye  large,  the  head  larger  than 
in  the  gray  snapper.  The  fins  are  also  red  in 
color,  and  at  times  the  fish  appears  to  be  spotted 
blue,  red,  and  white  with  indistinct  horizontal 
bars  and  a  black  spot  near  the  tail;  again  it 
is  severely  olive  above  and  white  below.  The 
dorsal  is  often  beautifully  tinted,  roseate  at  its 
base,  golden  green  at  the  tips  —  altogether  a 
radiant  creature,  yet  lacking  the  grace  of  form 
of  the  gray  snapper.  It  is  a  valuable  food  fish 


48  Big  Game  Fishes 

at  Key  West  and  Porto  Rico.  It  spawns  in 
July  and  August  and  it  is  said  to  school ;  but  I 
have  never  seen  such  propinquity  in  the  sense 
of  schooling  mullets,  jacks,  or  other  tropical 
schooling  fish.  Snappers,  in  my  observations, 
were  always  seen  together;  that  is,  where  there 
was  one,  ten  or  fifteen  would  be  observed  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  perhaps  poising,  or  moving 
slowly  about,  never  conveying  the  impression  that 
there  was  a  school  —  rather  a  community,  as  they 
have  the  home  instinct  strongly  developed,  and, 
like  all  snappers,  live  in  certain  localities,  remain- 
ing there  during  the  day,  but  wandering  abroad 
at  night,  like  many  tropical  fishes,  to  feed  in  the 
shallow  lagoons  or  flats,  where  they  were  never 
found  during  the  day. 

The  habit  of  night  feeding  in  shallow  water 
was  very  marked  at  Garden  Key,  so  much  so  that 
when  it  was  necessary  to  catch  rare  fishes  we 
invariably  hauled  the  seine  in  the  lagoon  between 
ten  and  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  always  taking 
many  forms  which  were  never  seen  there  at  other 
times.  There  was  one  drawback  —  large  sharks 
and  sting  rays  were  particularly  addicted  to  night 
strolling,  and  frequently  became  entangled  in  the 
nets. 


The  Gray  Snapper  49 

Of  all  the  game  fishes  of  Florida  the  snappers 
afforded  me  the  most  sport,  as  they  were  essen- 
tially gamy  at  all  ages  and  sizes.  The  small 
specimens,  weighing  from  two  to  six  pounds, 
often  found  in  the  shallow  waters  of  the  lagoon, 
were  the  trout  of  the  reef.  In  one  locality,  where 
a  key  had  been  battling  with  the  hurricanes  for 
centuries,  the  great  gales  had  swept  the  key 
away  from  the  roots  of  the  mangroves,  leaving 
many  stumps  isolated  and  completely  submerged. 
Anchoring  the  dinghy  near  these  shelters,  and 
casting  with  a  heavy  trout  rod,  using  crayfish 
bait,  rare  sport  was  always  had.  The  snappers 
lived  among  roots  with  a  horde  of  other  fishes, 
and  would  rise  as  soon  as  the  lure  sank  a  few 
feet,  not  having  the  discretion  and  coyness  which 
marked  or  characterized  the  adult  snapper  of  this 
region. 

The  snapper  family  is  very  large,  including 
twenty  genera  and  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
species,  nearly  all  of  which  have  a  high  economic 
value ;  and  wherever  they  can  be  taken  in  water 
about  twenty  feet  in  depth,  typify  all  that  com- 
mends itself  in  a  true  game  fish.  In  American 
waters  alone,  according  to  Dr.  Jordan,  there  are 
about  fourteen  genera  and  thirty-five  species ;  but 


50  Big  Game  Fishes 

including  Porto  Rico,  now  an  American  colony, 
the  list  would  be  larger.  Among  the  small 
snappers,  resembling  the  gray  snapper,  is  the 
schoolmaster,  Lutianus  apodus,  easily  recognized 
by  its  reddish  brown  and  orange  colors  and 
whitish  stripes.  I  have  taken  twelve-pounders 
on  the  edge  of  a  little  channel  near  Bird  Key, 
and  have  seen  individuals  on  the  edges  of  the 
channels  which  were  doubtless  much  larger.  As 
a  hard  fighter  and  vigorous  fish  it  is  unexcelled. 

Another  gamy  snapper  is  the  red  tail,  Lutianus 
synagris  (Linn.),  and  seen  directly  from  the 
water  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  fishes. 
As  it  comes  in  on  the  line  after  a  vigorous  play, 
it  appears  olive-hued;  then  as  it  reaches  the 
surface  and  the  sun  plays  upon  it,  rose,  scarlet, 
silver,  gold,  deep  maroon,  and  almost  every  color 
flash  and  blend  to  add  to  its  beauties.  Even  the 
lips  are  vivid  red,  its  eye  or  iris  a  flame  of 
scarlet,  marking  the  fish  as  a  fitting  companion 
to  the  gorgeous  parrot  and  angel  fishes  of  the 
reef. 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE  LEAPING  TUNA 

"  First  be  the  fisher's  limbs  compact  and  sound, 
With  solid  flesh  and  well-braced  sinews  bound ; 
Let  due  proportion  every  part  commend, 
Nor  leanness  shrink  too  much,  nor  fat  distend." 

OPPIAN  must  have  had  this  acrobat  of  the  seas 
in  mind  when  he  pictured  the  physical  require- 
ments of  the  fisherman,  as  he  who  would  try  con- 
clusions with  the  leaping  tuna,  with  the  rod,  must 
be  in  good  physical  condition,  and  be  skilled  in 
the  use  of  the  rod  and  reel. 

Tuna  angling  is  purely  a  modern  sport  which 
I  suggested  ten  or  twelve  years  ago  at  the  island 
of  Santa  Catalina,  California,  and,  like  many 
manly  sports,  it  flashed  into  popularity  and  almost 
world-wide  fame.  The  tuna  is  the  horse-mack- 
erel, the  giant  of  the  mackerel  tribe,  the  doughty 
head  of  the  family  Scombridcz ;  an  ocean  wan- 
derer, a  pelagic  swash-buckler  of  the  sea;  now 
feeding  upon  bluefish,  menhaden,  or  herring  in 

51 


52  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  Atlantic,  gorging  itself  with  the  great  flying- 
fish  or  squid  in  the  Pacific ;  everywhere  a  terror 
to  the  smaller  denizens  of  the  deep.  For  cen- 
turies it  has  been  caught  in  great  nets  in  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  on  whose  shores  it  is  con- 
sidered a  dainty ;  and  from  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  Cape  Cod  it  is  more  or  less  common 
in  summer  and  occasionally  harpooned,  its  cres- 
cent-shaped tail  being  seen  on  many  a  longshore 
fish  house  from  Cape  Breton  to  Swampscott,  a 
talisman  of  good  luck. 

The  fishermen  along  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia, 
especially  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Breton,  the 
mouth  of  the  Myra  River,  and  the  region  about 
Sydney,  have  long  been  familiar  with  the  big  fish 
which  they  call  the  "  albacore,"  and  which  chases 
schools  of  herring  into  the  great  bays  in  July, 
August,  and  September,  often  playing  havoc  with 
nets.  From  inquiries  among  fishermen,  I  believe 
that  the  Atlantic  fish  averages  much  larger  than 
those  of  the  Pacific  coast,  entire  schools  of  which 
often  range  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds.  In  the  Mediterranean,  five  hun- 
dred pounds  is  considered  a  large  fish,  and  two 
hundred,  according  to  Kingsley,  is  the  average. 
At  Cape  Cod,  near  which  they  are  often  har- 


The  Leaping  Tuna  53 

pooned  for  the  oil,  Captain  Atwood  states  that 
"the  average  size  is  about  eight  feet  in  length." 
According  to  Goode,  the  fish  attains  the  weight 
of  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  pounds;  Cetti,  the 
Italian  naturalist,  gives  its  maximum  weight  as 
fifteen  hundred  pounds.  Dr.  Storer  describes 
one  weighing  one  thousand  pounds,  which  was 
fifteen  feet  in  length,  harpooned  at  Cape  Ann  in 
1858;  and  Captain  Webb  in  1878  killed  thirty 
in  Gloucester  harbor,  which  averaged  one  thou- 
sand pounds  each.  Dr.  G.  Brown  Goode  records 
one  weighing  three  hundred  pounds,  which  was 
harpooned  at  Minot's  Ledge,  August  16,  1856; 
another,  nine  feet  long,  weighing  six  hundred 
pounds,  taken  at  Marblehead  in  the  same  year. 
In  1856  a  horse-mackerel  was  taken  off  the  town 
of  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  which  weighed  one  thou- 
sand pounds,  was  ten  feet  in  length,  and  six  in 
girth.  It  was  harpooned  and  killed  by  three  men 
in  a  dory,  and  the  specimen  was  secured  and  pre- 
sented to  the  Lynn  Natural  History  Society  by 
Dr.  Joseph  B.  Holder,  its  president,  father  of  the 
author.  This  was  the  first  tuna  ever  seen  in  a 
scientific  institution  in  America.  In  July  of  this 
year  Dr.  Holder  reported  another  fish,  nine  feet 
in  length,  and  a  third,  taken  at  Nahant,  almost 


54  Big  Game  Fishes 

as  large,  nearly  one  thousand  pounds  in  weight. 
Dr.  Holder  reported  to  the  society  that  these 
fishes  were  very  plentiful  in  Massachusetts  Bay 
in  1850,  and  that  he  had  measured  several  which 
were  ten  feet  in  length.  Another  fish  taken  at 
Bass  Point,  Nahant,  was  examined  by  Dr.  Holder 
and  Louis  Agassiz,  who  were  then  investigating 
the  fauna  of  the  bay;  it  was  found  to  measure 
ten  feet  in  length ;  girth,  six  feet ;  weight,  six 
hundred  and  fourteen  pounds.  The  discrepancy 
between  weight  and  length  in  different  fishes  is 
one  of  the  interesting  features  in  controversial 
angling,  the  weight  being  a  question  of  condi- 
tion, not  length. 

On  European  shores  the  horse-mackerel  or 
tuna  reaches  the  Lafodin  Islands  in  latitude  69°, 
and  can  be  found  well  up  on  the  Newfoundland 
coast  in  summer.  It  appears  at  Provincetown, 
Cape  Cod,  in  June,  leaving  in  October,  and  is 
harpooned  for  its  oil,  a  large  fish  producing 
twenty-three  or  twenty-four  gallons.  Regarding 
the  range  of  the  fish  in  the  Atlantic,  Kingsley 
says :  "  Mr.  Matthew  Jones  of  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia,  writes,  *  The  tunny  is  very  common  on 
the  eastern  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  in  summer,  and 
is  known  to  the  fishermen  as  "albacore."  The 


The  Leaping  Tuna  55 

Rev.  Ambrose  informs  me  that  it  regularly  visits 
St.  Margaret's  Bay  every  summer,  several  speci- 
mens being  taken  and  rendered  down  for  oil. 
They  were  particularly  abundant  in  1876.  They 
are  never  seen  in  the  Basin  of  Minas.'" 

That  the  Atlantic  species,  so  far  as  seen,  are 
mainly  giants  is  shown  by  the  condition  of  nets 
after  their  visits,  Captain  Atwood  describing  an 
eighty-yard  net  which  had  forty-seven  round  holes 
after  a  raid  of  these  fishes;  the  tunas  had  gone 
through  it  as  through  paper.  In  the  Canadian 
Fishing  Report  of  1863  Dr.  Fortin  states  that 
the  fish  is  "  quite  abundant  in  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  especially  the  Bay  of  Chaleur  and  off 
Gaspe,  and  also  in  the  straits  of  Belle  Isle  and 
Blanco  Sablon  Bay.  It  is  also  taken  at  Cara- 
quette."  Dr.  Fortin  adds,  "The  fishing  is  quite 
exciting,  although  tiresome  and  requiring  a  good 
deal  of  skill  (steel  hooks  are  used,  tied  to  solid 
lines),  as  in  the  efforts  to  escape  they  pull  with 
such  violence  as  to  endanger  the  lives  of  the 
fishermen  by  dragging  them  overboard."  In  the 
Mediterranean,  the  catch  is  entirely  by  a  vast 
net,  known  as  a  madrague,  which  is  very  suc- 
cessful at  Favignana,  where  as  much  as  seventy 
tons  of  the  fish,  here  known  as  the  tunny,  is  taken 


56  Big  Game  Fishes 

at  once.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  take  the 
tunny  in  these  waters  with  rod  and  reel,  but  so 
far  have  failed.  The  game  was  found  in  great 
abundance  on  the  Italian  coast,  but  for  some 
reason  it  would  not  bite. 

I  first  conceived  the  idea  and  fostered  the  hope 
of  catching  a  tuna  with  a  rod  when  measuring  a 
giant  specimen  which  hung  in  Fulton  Market 
some  twenty  years  ago.  It  had  been  harpooned 
in  Massachusetts  Bay,  was  about  eleven  feet 
long,  and  weighed  in  the  neighborhood  of  one 
thousand  pounds  —  a  type  of  all  that  is  ponderous 
and  massive  in  the  true  fishes.  The  following 
year  I  confided  my  ambition  to  a  professional 
fisherman,  a  man  of  great  intelligence,  with  whom 
I  often  fished  at  Ogunquit,  Maine,  and  made 
various  trips  to  the  offshore  banks  near  Boon 
Island  Light  in  quest  of  the  game  which  he 
assured  me  was  there ;  but  though  I  fished  with 
patience,  trolling  and  anchored,  tried  all  kinds  of 
bait  from  moss  bunkers  to  live  pollock,  I  could 
never  lure  the  Atlantic  tuna,  and  indeed  never 
saw  one,  though  my  companion  related  tales  of 
monsters  which  came  around  his  dory,  feeding 
almost  from  his  hand,  when  fishing  for  dogfish. 
In  these  waters  the  tuna  never  or  rarely  was  seen, 


The  Leaping  Tuna  57 

as  it  did  not  leap  for  its  prey,  there  being  no  fly- 
ing-fishes. In  1887  or  1888  I  began  to  fish  the 
waters  of  Santa  Catalina,  and  here  saw  the  same 
horse-mackerel  or  tuna,  now  feeding  on  the  Cali- 
fornia flying-fish,  to  capture  which  it  sprang  into 
the  air  in  magnificent  bounds;  hence  I  called  it 
the  leaping  tuna,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  non- 
jumper  of  the  Atlantic.  To  take  so  large  and 
powerful  a  fish  smooth  water  was  a  desideratum, 
and  so  far  as  known,  Santa  Catalina,  California, 
is  the  only  locality  where  the  fish  has  been  taken 
with  rod  and  reel ;  and  even  here  the  fishing- 
grounds  are  limited  to  about  four  miles  of  coast 
in  the  lee  of  the  island  mountains,  which  afford 
several  open  bays,  generally  smooth,  the  wind 
blowing  only  part  of  the  day,  thus  giving  the 
angler  conditions  absolutely  perfect,  without 
which  tuna  fishing  would  be  impossible  and 
extremely  dangerous. 

It  would  weary  the  reader  to  detail  my  efforts 
to  catch  a  tuna.  I  frequently  hooked  them,  lost 
tips,  rods,  and  lines,  which  were  cheerfully  offered 
at  the  shrine,  and  told  the  stories  to  incredulous 
listeners,  all  to  no  purpose.  Horace  Annersley 
Vachell,  in  his  "Life  and  Sport  on  the  Pacific 
Slope,"  who  has  written  a  delightful  account  of 


5  8  Big  Game  Fishes 

this  sport,  thus  refers  to  this  period  of  proba- 
tion :  — 

"  The  following  excerpt,  from  an  article  writ- 
ten by  my  friend  Charles  F.  Holder,  is  worth 
quoting :  — 

"  '  The  activity  of  the  tuna  is  only  comparable 
to  that  of  the  tarpon.  I  have  seen  them  leap  ten 
or  more  feet  into  the  air,  while  they  have  been 
known  to  jump  over  the  boats  in  pursuit  of  them. 
Sportsmen  from  the  East  have  devoted  weeks  to 
this  fish,  hoping  to  win  fame  and  honor  by  taking 
one  on  a  rod ;  but  so  far  the  tuna  has  harvested 
the  rods,  reels,  and  lines,  and  is  still  master  of  the 
situation.' " 

At  this  time  no  large  reels  were  obtainable. 
The  rods  were  jointed  and  inadequate,  and  I 
recall  one  angler  who  devoted  the  entire  season 
to  an  effort  to  take  the  elusive  tuna.  Finally  a 
tuna  was  caught  by  Colonel  C.  P.  Morehous,  who 
used  a  reel  made  for  the  purpose,  and  imme- 
diately the  pastime  took  its  place,  with  that 
of  tarpon  fishing,  among  the  most  exciting  of 
American  sports.  The  advantage  California  has 
over  other  localities  is  that  the  tuna,  being  an 
oceanic  fish,  rarely  if  ever  comes  inshore  nearer 
than  seventeen  or  eighteen  miles.  It  is  very 


Figure  showing  Tuna  reel  and  the  position  of  the  thumb  when  using  the 
leather  pad  brake.  The  silver  disk  on  the  reel  indicates  the  patent 
brake  to  prevent  overrunning  during  a  rush.  Above  the  reel  seat  is 
seen  the  cork  grip  for  the  left  hand 


Tuna  or  Tarpon  reel,  showing  position  of  hands  "  waiting  for  the  strike," 
—  left  hand  grasping  the  upper  cork  grip,  the  right  thumb  pressing 
gently  upon  the  leather  pad  brake 


The  Leaping  Tuna  59 

rarely  seen  near  the  mainland  of  California ;  the 
island  mentioned  is  about  twenty  miles  out  to  sea, 
and  a  natural  feeding-ground  of  the  fish  in 
summer,  the  alert  tuna  using  the  open  bays  into 
which  to  drive  its  victims,  the  California  flying- 
fishes.  The  tuna  boats  of  Catalina  Island  are 
designed  for  the  purpose,  and  are  mainly  stiff, 
broad-beamed  launches,  built  for  three  persons: 
two  anglers,  who  sit  side  by  side  in  chairs  facing 
the  stern,  and  the  boatman,  who  is  helmsman, 
gaffer,  and  engineer  of  the  three  or  more  horse- 
power gasolene  engine.  Overhead  is  an  awning, 
which  is  raised  by  the  gaffer  when  the  strike 
comes,  and  each  boat  has  a  flag  bearing  the 
figure  of  a  tuna,  which  is  thrown  to  the  breeze 
the  moment  a  fish  is  hooked,  so  that  interested 
spectators  ashore  can  tell  several  miles  away 
whether  good  luck  is  in  the  wind. 

There  are  two  essentials  in  tuna  fishing,  a 
cool,  intelligent,  and  practised  gaffer,  and  per- 
fect tackle ;  with  these  the  novice  can  be  assured 
that  the  responsibility  for  the  loss  of  the  fish 
rests  on  his  own  shoulders.  As  to  tackle,  I 
recall  one  angler  who  made  a  practice  of  never 
using  the  same  line  twice ;  at  the  end  of  the  day 
he  presented  it  to  the  boatman.  This  is  unnec- 


60  Big  Game  Fishes 

essary,  as  a  good  line  will  last  a  season  through 
if  well  used,  but  it  illustrates  the  fact  that  some 
anglers  take  no  chances.  The  reel  most  in 
vogue  is  made  especially  for  the  purpose ;  it 
is  as  well  put  together  as  a  watch,  and  costs 
from  thirty  dollars  upward.  It  is  of  rubber  and 
silver,  and  is  so  perfectly  adjusted  that  a  whirl 
of  the  handle  will  cause  it  to  run  some  time. 
It  must  have  a  capacity  of  eight  hundred  feet 
of  number  twenty-one  line  when  wet.  It  should 
have  a  melodious  click,  and  a  drag  to  prevent 
over-running,  and  attached  to  the  lower  or  upper 
cross-bar  there  should  be  a  leather  pad  lined 
with  moose  hide.  This  is  the  brake  par  excel- 
lence, used  by  pressing  it  upon  the  line  with 
the  thumb,  and  it  should  never  be  used  unless 
the  line  is  wet,  as  the  friction  will  burn  the 
line.  The  reel  should  always  be  lashed  to  the 
rod.  As  to  the  line,  there  are  several  makes 
in  use.  What  is  known  as  twenty-one  cutty- 
hunk  and  one  or  two  others  especially  made 
have  all  been  tested  on  the  tuna  grounds.  One 
particularly  good  line  is  of  Irish  linen,  hand 
laid ;  the  twenty-one  tested  to  pull  forty-two 
pounds  dead  weight ;  the  twenty-four,  forty-eight 
pounds;  the  eighteen,  thirty-six;  the  fifteen, 


Tested  to  Ibe.  pal). 
Nos. 

12      i  ii  24 


18 


24      ^v.i^^^vl•v^^^^T.^^^^,^^lv.^.vla;a^iJ  48 

EXACT  SIZE  OF  STANDARD  IRISH  LINEN  LINES  FOR 
SEA  ANGLING 

No.  12,  fish  up  to  20  pounds 

No.  1  5,  fish  up  to  30  pounds 

No.  1  8,  fish  up  to  60  or  1  00  pounds,  and  Tarpon 

No.  21,  Tuna,  Black  Sea-bass 

No.  24,  when  heavy  lifting  is  refused,  as  Jewfish,  etc. 


A  ROD 


ANGLER'S  KNOTS 
(See  chapter  on  Leaping  Tuna.) 


The  Leaping  Tuna  61 

thirty  pounds.  A  line  of  this  quality  is  indis- 
pensable. By  such  a  thread  a  tuna  towed  me 
in  a  heavy  boat  ten  miles,  the  perfect  line  saving 
the  day.  For  practice  a  number  twenty-four 
is  commended,  but  after  the  novice  has  landed 
a  tuna  a  number  eighteen  line  is  sufficiently 
strong  for  a  cool  hand.  A  new  line  should 
always  be  soaked  before  using  and  stretched 
for  a  day  previous  to  use,  and  allowed  to  dry 
in  this  way.  I  am  aware  that  an  opinion  pre- 
vails that  this  takes  the  spring  from  a  line,  but 
I  have  always  made  it  a  practice.  In  the  words 
of  an  expert,  "  This  sets  the  lay  of  the  line,  and 
not  only  lessens  the  liability  of  kinking,  but 
helps  to  even  its  strength."  This  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  those  who  have  watched  the  mental 
anguish  of  a  brother  angler  whose  line  has 
kinked  while  the  fish  were  biting. 

The  selection  of  a  rod  is  important.  A  poor 
rod,  or  a  very  cheap  one,  is  an  impossibility. 
Large  fish  have  been  taken  on  small  and  light 
rods,  but  the  well-equipped  angler  will  find  sol- 
ace and  comfort  in  going  into  the  fray  with  per- 
fect tackle.  A  good  greenheart  rod  weighing 
twenty-five  or  twenty-six  ounces,  with  one  long 
tip  and  agate  guides,  seven  or  seven  and  a 


62  Big  Game  Fishes 

half  feet  long,  will  be  found  equal  to  the  de- 
mands upon  it.  The  tip  must  not  be  so  pliable 
that  a  heavy  fish  cannot  be  lifted,  nor  so  stiff 
that  the  rod  will  not  bend;  a  happy  medium 
must  be  selected.  A  split  bamboo  rod,  costing 
from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars,  is  eminently  adapted 
to  the  sport.  One  of  the  best  rods  for  the  pur- 
pose has  a  patent  hard  rubber  butt  into  which 
the  tip  fits,  the  rod  really  being  one  piece  with 
a  short  butt.  It  is  of  noib  wood  —  a  species  of 
greenheart  of  great  tensile  strength.  This  rod 
has  heavy  silver  mounting,  double  bell  guides, 
is  six  feet  nine  inches  long,  and  weighs  twenty- 
six  ounces ;  with  an  extra  tip  the  angler  is  well 
equipped,  though  he  should  never  go  tuna  fish- 
ing with  a  single  rod.  In  the  equipment  of 
the  line,  especially  in  the  question  of  knots, 
every  angler  has  his  fancy.  My  own  preference 
is  for  a  plain  bowline  in  fastening  leader  to 
line  or  swivel.  I  have  heard  many  arguments 
against  it,  but  have  never  had  the  knot  wear 
or  chafe  off  in  the  heavy  work  of  tuna  fishing. 
To  those  who  do  not  care  for  the  bowline  there 
are  others  well  known  to  the  angler.  Number 
I  shows  a  simple  knot  for  tying  leader  to  line, 
the  ends  being  merely  cut  off  after  tying.  Num- 


8/o.   YELLOWTAIL 


10/0.   TUNA  AND  BLACK  SEA-BASS 


Needle-eye 


TUNA  OR   BLACK  SEA-BASS  HOOKS,   SHOWING  SIZES 
USED   BY    THE  AUTHOR 


Ordinary  way  of  baiting  Tuna  hook  with  flying-fish.    A,  wire  fastening 
the  mouth.    The  Tuna  strikes  at  the  eye 


Hook  suggested  and  used  by  Col.  C.  P.  Morehous,  Pasadena,  Cal. 


Morehous  Tuna  hook  sewed  upon  ventral  surface  of  10-inch  flying-fish 


The  Leaping  Tuna  63 

her  2  is  for  a  similar  purpose.  Draw  the  knot 
tight  and  cut  the  ends.  Number  3  is  a  good 
knot  for  fastening  line  to  the  swivel,  one 
easily  made  and  as  easily  unfastened.  Num- 
ber 4  is  an  excellent  knot  to  conjure  with,  giv- 
ing easily  to  facile  fingers.  Number  5  shows  a 
knot  easily  untied  by  jerking  the  end  of  the 
loop. 

The  leader,  or  snood,  in  tuna  fishing  should 
be  six  or  seven  feet  in  length,  of  phosphor- 
bronzed  wire,  and  the  next  ten  feet  of  line  should 
be  doubled.  This  will  save  many  a  fish,  as 
in  a  long  struggle  the  line  is  liable  to  chafe 
off  on  the  back  of  the  fish.  To  the  leader  is 
fastened  a  Van  Vleck  hook,  supposed  among 
tuna  experts  to  be  very  killing ;  but  a  10/0 
O'Shaughnessy  is  equally  effective  —  a  small 
hook  for  so  large  a  fish.  There  should  be  at 
least  three  strong  brass  swivels  between  hook 
and  line.  The  bait  is  a  large  flying-fish,  which  is 
hooked  in  various  ways  according  to  fancy.  The 
tuna  almost  invariably  strikes  at  the  large  black 
eye  of  the  flying-fish,  hence  many  hook  the  bait 
through  the  lips,  barb  up,  and  sew  up  the  mouth 
to  make  the  fish  run  smoothly.  Others  sew 
the  hook  along  the  body  and  have  the  point 


64  Big  Game  Fishes 

project  through  the  abdomen  near  the  vent, 
while  others  again  use  two  hooks,  one  with  a 
long  shank  —  a  method  which  has  nothing  to 
commend  itself.  Another  hook,  suggested  and 
used  by  Colonel  Morehous,  has  a  shank  six 
inches  in  length  and  is  double;  that  is,  two 
hooks  are  welded  together,  back  to  back,  one 
a  little  lower  than  the  other  [see  Fig.].  In  bait- 
ing this  hook  the  long  shank  is  laid  along  the 
belly  and  sewed  to  the  fish,  one  hook  penetrating 
the  body  near  the  vent,  the  other  projecting. 
The  mouth  of  the  fish  is  sewed  up  and  fastened 
to  the  shank.  This  is  a  very  killing  arrange- 
ment, and  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  novice 
misses  about  eight  strikes  to  one  catch,  it  is 
admissible ;  but  I  am  an  advocate  for  the  plain- 
est and  simplest  tackle  on  the  ground  of  fair 
play  to  the  game.  The  use  of  two  separate 
hooks,  one  in  the  head  and  one  in  the  tail  of  the 
bait,  often  used,  is  an  unpardonable  sin,  as  nearly 
all  the  fish  come  in  foul  hooked,  —  one  in  the 
mouth,  and  one  in  the  belly  or  side,  —  a  result 
which  can  but  totally  destroy  the  pleasure  of 
a  capture  after  a  four  or  five  hour  struggle  with 
the  noble  fish.  In  a  word,  the  tuna  should  be 
approached  with  all  the  advantages  on  its  side. 


The  Leaping  Tuna  65 

Such  is  the  equipment,  and  the  angler  will  do 
well  to  have  several  lines,  at  least  two  reels,  and 
half  a  dozen  baited  hooks  ready  for  immediate 
use,  as  it  is  the  unexpected  which  invariably 
happens  in  tuna  fishing,  as  in  anything  else.  I 
have  found  besides  duplicate  rods  a  fishing  valise 
of  value.  This  contains  the  reels,  lines,  hooks 
and  leaders,  extra  swivels,  wire,  pincers,  pocket 
oiler,  extra  guides,  chamois  for  the  reel,  compass, 
extra  gaffs,  hook,  knife,  rule,  court-plaster,  etc. 
At  Avalon  every  boatman  provides  the  well- 
equipped  rods,  but  the  angler  who  loves  fishing 
as  an  art  and  a  part  of  his  life  worth  living,  will 
own  his  tackle.  The  delights  of  angling  are  in 
a  general  way  threefold.  There  is,  first,  the 
anticipation  which  lasts  and  is  a  solace  through 
long  winter  months  ;  then  the  possession  of  tackle 
is  a  delight  in  itself;  and  finally  the  catch.  Of 
these  the  tackle — the  old  rods  and  reels  —  to 
talk  over  in  the  out  season,  to  my  mind,  rank 
equally  with  the  others.  I  retire  my  rods  after 
adequate  service  full  of  honors,  and  as  they  hang 
on  the  wall,  pensioned  off,  live  over  the  incidents 
in  their  lives  so  deeply  engraved  on  their  respon- 
sive hearts.  One,  as  a  friend  remarked,  "  is  not 
much  to  look  at,"  but  beneath  its  scratches  and 


66  Big  Game  Fishes 

weather-worn  appearance  lie  a  tenacity,  spring, 
and  strength  worthy  a  rest  for  the  remainder 
of  its  life,  as  there  is  "  life "  to  a  rod  which 
departs  in  the  course  of  time.  With  this  rod 
I  played  a  fish  four  hours;  later,  it  landed  a 
three-hundred-and-fifty-pound  bass  in  the  hands 
of  a  friend,  and  then  was  invalided.  Another 
slender  split  bamboo  trout  rod,  on  the  retired 
list,  brought  in  after  an  hour's  struggle  a  thirty- 
five-pound  amber-fish  ;  and  so  on,  one  might 
go  through  the  list  of  old  rods  which  have  a 
personality  to  the  angler  who  really  enjoys  the 
sport  in  all  its  details. 

It  has  been  my  fancy  to  experiment  with  com- 
paratively light  rods,  and  when  fishing  to  use  as 
nearly  as  possible  a  rod  adapted  to  the  fish ; 
that  is,  so  light  that  in  the  balance  of  chance 
the  game  has  a  decided  advantage.  In  fishing 
for  tuna,  tarpon,  and  the  black  sea-bass,  the  trio 
which  are  the  tiger  and  elephant  hunting  of  the 
angling  world,  the  temptation  is  strong  to  use 
robust  and  short  rods ;  yet  I  took  a  one  hundred 
and  eighty-three-pound  tuna  with  a  three-jointed 
rod;  have  caught  large  yellowtails  and  sea-bass 
on  a  black  bass  rod ;  and  a  ninety-pound  tuna, 
that  threw  us  into  the  sea  a  mile  from  shore, 


The  Leaping  Tuna  67 

was  killed  with  a  delicate  jointed  greenheart  rod, 
built  and  intended  for  yellowtail.  Even  Walton 
assumed  an  apologetic  air  when  he  approached 
a  big  fish  story.  "  Because  you  say  you  love 
such  discourses  as  these,  of  rivers,  and  fish,  and 
fishing,  I  love  you  the  better,  and  love  the  more 
to  impart  them  to  you.  Nevertheless,  scholar, 
if  I  should  begin  to  name  the  several  sorts  of 
strange  fish  that  run  into  the  sea,  I  might  beget 
wonder  in  you,  or  unbelief,  or  both,  and  yet  I 
will  venture  to  tell  you  a  real  truth." 

So  with  the  leaping  tuna.  If  I  should  relate 
the  experiences  I  have  been  witness  to,  I  should 
surely  "  beget  wonder "  in  the  reader,  if  not 
"  unbelief,"  so  extraordinary  are  they,  so  seem- 
ingly impossible;  and  it  is  perhaps  fortunate  for 
this  truthful  history  that  there  are  forty  or  fifty 
"  blue  button  members  "  of  the  Tuna  Club  who 
have  survived  their  initiative,  the  taking  of  a 
one-hundred-pound  fish,  all  of  whom  have  had 
experiences  equally  remarkable,  which  make  up 
the  chronicles  of  this  organization  devoted  to 
sea  angling  and  the  protection  of  game  fishes. 

The  tuna  moves  north  and  south,  in  or  out, 
with  more  or  less  regularity.  It  is  due  at  Santa 
Catalina  from  the  i5th  of  May  to  the  i5th  of 


68  Big  Game  Fishes 

June,  generally  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the 
flying-fishes.  For  weeks  perhaps  anglers  from 
all  over  the  country  have  been  waiting,  vainly 
fishing,  when  suddenly  in  the  offing  a  black, 
arrowlike  object  is  seen  to  rise  into  the  air, 
A  splash,  a  rush  of  waters,  dozens  of  flying- 
fishes  radiating  like  gigantic  dragon-flies  in  every 
direction,  and  the  tuna  season  has  begun.  Every 
boat  and  angler  is  in  a  short  time  in  the  midst 
of  the  fray,  and  many  strikes  there  are,  but  few  are 
taken. 

As  to  the  time  for  tuna  fishing,  there  is  a 
difference  of  opinion.  Some  anglers  are  on  the 
ground  at  daylight ;  others  follow  the  schools 
at  all  times.  I  have  had  better  luck ;  that  is,  more 
strikes,  early  in  the  morning  on  a  rising  tide,  but 
the  tuna  is  fickle  game.  At  times  it  bites  vigor- 
ously, then  will  cease  without  rhyme  or  reason, 
during  which  exasperating  period  schools  of  hun- 
dreds may  be  passed  and  crossed,  the  fish  abso- 
lutely ignoring  the  various  devices  of  the  angler. 
The  fishing-ground  may  be  said  to  be  from  the 
point  of  Avalon  Bay  to  Long  Point,  a  distance 
of  four  miles,  and  from  fifty  feet  to  a  mile  off- 
shore. The  tuna  is  a  strategist,  and  this  shore- 
line, with  its  numerous  open  bays,  the  mouths 


The  Leaping  Tuna  69 

of  canons,  constitutes  a  series  of  traps,  into  which 
they  can  charge  the  flying-fishes ;  and  when  they 
are  feeding,  they  can  be  caught  on  the  edge  of 
the  kelp  within  twenty  feet  of  the  shore.  The 
tuna  does  not  travel  in  a  single  large  school. 
That  they  arrive  in  a  body  is  doubtless  true,  but 
when  once  on  the  ground  they  divide  into  small 
squadrons  of  from  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  are 
apparently  preparing  to  spawn,  playing  on  the 
surface,  and  on  calm  days,  which  are  the  rule  in 
spring,  they  can  be  seen  for  a  long  distance,  the 
spike  dorsal  out  of  the  water,  followed  by  the 
upper  lobe  of  the  sharp  crescent  tail.  They  move 
in  the  general  form  of  flying  ducks  or  geese ; 
a  large  triangular  figure,  with  one  or  two  large 
fishes  perhaps  in  the  lead.  They  are  so  tame 
that  a  boat  can  approach  within  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  of  them  before  they  sink,  and  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  follow  and  circle  the  school. 

In  fishing  we  are  on  the  beach  at  daylight. 
To  the  east  great  bands  of  vermilion  are  piercing 
the  sky,  and  the  entire  heavens  are  blazing  with 
a  rosy  light,  the  advance  guard  of  the  sun  that 
presently  comes  up  over  the  Sierras  on  the  main- 
land like  a  ball  of  fire.  The  boatman,  who  is 
just  in  with  fresh  flying-fishes,  reports  tunas  all 


70  Big  Game  Fishes 

along  shore,  and  a  few  moments  later  we  are 
shoving  off,  seated  in  the  stern  of  a  wide-beamed 
yawl.  She  is  rigged  with  a  two-horse  power 
engine,  but  the  boatman  rows  out  into  the  bay, 
stopping  to  fasten  on  the  leaders  as  we  overreel. 
This  accomplished,  he  rows  on  while  we  unreel 
the  entire  line  to  soak  it  —  an  essential,  as  a  dry 
line  will  burn  off  under  the  rush  of  a  fish  when 
the  leather  brake  is  applied.  We  are  not  out  of 
the  bay  when  a  flying-fish  is  seen  coming  di- 
rectly toward  us,  then  another,  and  still  another, 

"  Look  out,  sir !  "  cries  the  boatman. 

Look  out,  indeed.  Two  fliers  pass  over  the 
boat,  my  companion  and  I  dodging  them,  catch- 
ing one,  and  then,  not  ten  feet  from  us,  a  torpedo 
seems  to  explode,  and  the  still  water  flies  into  the 
air  a  mass  of  gleaming  foam.  Quickly  another 
rod  is  taken,  the  living  flier  hooked  on  and  cast. 
We  are  surely  caught  unprepared,  yet  zeee-ee-zee  ! 
a  swirl  of  waters,  a  wail  from  the  steel  throat  of 
the  big  reel,  and  the  game  is  away.  Gone  ?  yes, 
gone,  and  if  it  must  be  acknowledged,  two  tuna 
men,  who  imagined  they  were  cool  under  any 
circumstances,  have  been  robbed  of  bait  and  one 
hundred  feet  of  line,  and  all  in  a  moment,  now 
sit  dumfounded,  then  laugh  at  this  phase  of 


The  Leaping  Tuna  71 

fisherman's  luck.  Manifestly  the  tunas  could  not 
wait  for  any  lengthy  preparation;  they  came  in 
to  meet  us ;  we  have  met  the  enemy  and  we  are 
theirs.  The  moral  is,  not  to  start  from  the  beach 
until  everything  is  in  readiness  and  to  be  pre- 
pared for  a  strike  the  moment  the  bait  is  over, 
and  all  the  time.  A  school  of  half  a  dozen  tunas 
has  entered  the  bay  charging  the  flying-fishes, 
and  is  off  up  the  coast,  where  we  follow.  Once 
around  the  point  the  tuna  ground  stretches  away 
from  point  to  point,  four  miles  or  more,  of  as 
beautiful  water  as  the  eye  ever  rested  upon, 
with  high  rocky  cliffs  and  blue-tinted  mountains 
to  the  left,  and  everywhere  as  smooth  as  glass. 
Tunas  are  in  a  short  time  sighted,  some  leaping 
into  the  air,  and  as  we  move  down  the  coast  a 
heavy  sea  appears  to  be  breaking  on  the  Long 
Point  rocks.  But  it  is  merely  tunas  feeding, 
each  tuna  as  it  rushes  creating  a  whitecap ;  and 
as  hundreds  are  seen,  the  sight  is  a  marvellous 
simulation  of  a  storm  on  a  sea  of  glass. 

A  flying-fish  now  comes  soaring  over  the 
ocean  a  foot  above  it,  and  we  know  that  just 
below  is  an  eagle-eyed  nemesis  ready  to  pounce 
upon  it  like  a  tiger.  We  know  that  the  tuna  and 
its  mate  are  swimming  at  an  angle,  canted,  or,  as 


72  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  boatman  says,  with  a  "  list,"  that  its  big, 
black,  hypnotic  eye  may  follow  each  move  of  the 
flier.  The  latter  has  soared  nearly  two  hundred 
yards  and  begins  to  flag ;  its  tail  drops  lower  and 
lower,  then  touches  the  water  to  beat  it  furiously, 
at  which  there  comes  a  rush  of  waters  as  the 
tuna  attempts  to  seize  its  game.  But  the  flying- 
fish  in  these  few  seconds  of  impact  has  stored  a 
fresh  supply  of  force,  or  inertia,  and  now  soars 
away  in  a  slightly  different  direction,  a  foot  above 
the  surface,  the  tuna  still  beneath  it,  uncertain 
whether  to  leap  or  to  wait  until  the  weary  victim 
shall  drop  into  its  maw.  It  is  here  that  we  are 
treated  to  the  lofty  leaps  of  the  tuna.  If  the 
latter  is  swimming  deep  in  the  chase,  it  occasion- 
ally dashes  upward  after  the  soaring  fish,  often 
missing  it  and  rising  ten  or  more  feet  into  the 
air  —  a  magnificent  spectacle.  Attaining  its  limit 
it  turns  gracefully  and  drops  headlong  into  the 
sea.  I  have  seen  such  a  fish  strike  the  flying- 
fish  and  send  it  whirling  upward  like  a  pinwheel. 
Again  the  tuna  will  seize  its  prey  in  mid-air,  as 
will  a  man-of-war  bird. 

While  we  have  been  digressing  on  came  the 
flying-fish,  crossing  our  bait  by  a  lucky  chance, 
or  by  the  strategy  of  the  boatman.  We  could 


The  Leaping  Tuna  73 

almost  feel  the  premonitory  crash ;  every  nerve 
was  tingling  with  expectation ;  then  twenty  feet 
from  the  bait  there  was  a  rush,  the  tunas  had 
sighted  them,  and  for  several  feet  they  raced 
along,  for  there  were  two  (generally  the  case), 
hurling  the  water,  arrows  aimed  at  the  baits. 
They  had  been  deflected  from  the  flier,  and  while 
the  water  swirled  astern,  the  cry  of  two  reels  rose 
on  the  morning  air.  Vainly  the  leather  thumb 
brakes  were  pushed  upon  the  line ;  the  latter 
slipped  beneath  it  in  feet  and  yards,  then  one  reel 
became  silent,  the  slack  line  telling  the  story  of  a 
flaw,  or  possibly  too  much  thumb  power,  or  a 
rusty  leader.  Despite  every  effort  the  tuna  tore 
the  line  from  the  reel,  the  boatman  backing  with 
all  his  strength,  endeavoring  to  force  sternway 
on  the  boat  before  the  line  was  fully  exhausted. 
Five  hundred  feet  had  slipped  away  and  the  boat 
was  sliding  through  the  water  at  a  rapid  rate 
when  suddenly  the  line  slackened,  the  game  was 
gone.  No,  the  line  was  doubling  in,  and  spring- 
ing to  my  feet  I  witnessed  a  splendid  movement 
of  the  gamy  fish,  one  which  I  have  never  seen 
repeated.  The  tuna  had  turned  and  was  literally 
charging  the  boat,  el  toro  of  the  sea,  coming  on 
like  a  gleam  of  light,  its  sharp  dorsal  cutting  the 


74  Big  Game  Fishes 

water.  I  reeled  with  all  my  speed,  knowing  that 
if  I  was  caught  on  the  turn  with  an  unknown 
amount  of  slack  line,  the  end  might  come;  but 
fifty  feet  had  not  been  gained  before  the  tuna  was 
within  fifteen  feet  of  the  boat,  then  seeing  me  it 
turned  and  was  away  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow. 
The  big  reel  groaned  as  the  crash  came,  but  the 
brake  was  thrown  off  and  my  thumb  played  upon 
the  leather  pad  with  rare  good  luck,  with  just 
sufficient  force  to  prevent  overrunning.  I  gained 
enough  line  during  this  spectacular  performance 
to  stop  the  fish  at  three  hundred  feet,  and  held  it 
by  the  thread  of  line  while  it  towed  the  boat  out 
to  sea.  A  mile  it  took  us,  now  plunging  into 
the  deep  heart  of  the  channel,  to  rise  again  with 
throbs  which  came  on  the  tense  line  like  heart- 
beats and  found  an  echoing  response.  I  gained 
ten  feet  to  lose  five,  then  would  lose  twenty  to 
recover  all,  and  more  by  vigorous  "  pumping,"  as 
the  fish  sulked  and  labored  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea.  Suddenly  I  felt  the  line  humming,  vibrating 
like  the  cord  of  some  musical  instrument  as  the 
great  fish  rose,  and  as  it  reached  the  surface  with 
a  mighty  swerve  that  gave  the  boatman  active 
work  to  keep  us  astern  to  the  game,  it  turned  and 
again  charged  me.  I  rose,  reeling  rapidly  as  I 


Figure  showing  size  of  reel  used  for  Yellowtail,  White  Sea-bass, 
and  any  fish  up  to  50  or  60  pounds.  Right  thumb  on  leather 
brake:  this  is  the  fishing  "  position,"  showing  also  the  "butt 
rest  "  when  used  as  a  belt 


Showing  position  of  the  hands,  giving  a  Tuna  "the  butt." 
Right  thumb  is  on  the  leather  brake,  left  hand  grasping 
cork  grip 


The  Leaping  Tuna  75 

watched  the  splendid  trick ;  for  trick  it  was,  an 
attempt  to  take  me  unawares,  running  in  on  the 
line  to  break  it  if  possible  in  the  outrush.  Again 
the  fish  turned  hard  by  the  boat  and  dashed 
away,  this  time  inshore,  towing  us  a  mile  or 
more,  and  within  fifty  feet  of  the  rocks  and  their 
beard  of  kelp  where  I  succeeded  in  turning  it, 
and  now  gained  so  rapidly  that  I  had  the  fish 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  boat.  The  boat- 
man was  fingering  his  gaff,  when,  with  a  mag- 
nificent rush,  the  tuna  tore  from. the  reel  three 
hundred  feet  of  line,  undoing  the  strenuous  labor 
of  nearly  two  hours.  The  fish  appeared  to  be 
seized  with  a  frenzy.  It  rushed  around  the  boat 
at  long  range,  plunged  deep  into  the  blue  water 
as  though  searching  the  bottom  for  some  obstacle 
upon  which  to  rub  the  line,  then  rising  with  a 
strange  bounding  motion  which  was  imparted  to 
the  rod,  again  charged  the  boat. 

For  three  hours  I  fought  this  superb  fish, 
during  which  it  towed  the  boat  from  near  Avalon 
to  Long  Point,  then  several  miles  in  and  out, 
repeatedly  charging,  never  giving  signs  of  weaken- 
ing, always  bearing  away  with  its  full  force.  At 
the  end  of  three  hours  I  again  brought  the  fish  to 
within  fifty  feet  of  the  boat,  when  it  again  broke 


76  Big  Game  Fishes 

away  and  towed  us  four  miles  south,  occasionally 
stopping  to  rush  in,  and  once  carried  us  out  into 
rough  water,  towing  the  boat  stern  first  against 
the  heavy  seaway  so  rapidly  that  I  expected  to 
see  her  fill ;  but  by  sheer  good  luck  I  turned  the 
fish,  and  at  the  end  of  four  hours  brought  it  to 
gaff.  Slowly  it  circled  the  boat  and  for  the  first 
time  we  saw  that  the  fish  was  what  we  had 
suspected,  of  unusual  size.  As  it  slowly  swam 
along,  its  big  back  of  a  deep  blue,  its  white  belly 
occasionally  gleaming  as  it  turned,  its  finarettes 
flashing  gold,  it  presented  a  magnificent  spec- 
tacle, a  compensation  for  the  hardest  struggle  I 
had  ever  made.  Nearer  it  came,  then  it  was 
turned  at  the  quarter,  the  boatman's  gaff  slid 
beneath,  and  the  big  hook  struck  home.  It  was  a 
clever  gaff,  but  with  a  tremendous  surge  the  tuna 
sounded,  shivering  the  handle  in  the  gaffer's 
hands,  and  was  away  taking  the  wreck  with 
it.  Fortunately  I  stopped  the  rush,  and  a  few 
moments  later  again  had  the  tuna  alongside. 
This  time  a  new  gaff  held  it,  the  gamy  creature, 
never  conquered,  never  discouraged,  lashing  the 
water,  hurling  it  over  us,  a  last  defiance.  A 
nervous  gaffer  would  have  lost  the  fish  at  this 
stage,  but  the  boatman  held  fast,  and  stepping 


Playing  a  large  Leaping  Tuna  from  the  boat  used  in  California 


The  rod  as  it  looked  after  the  fifth  hour  of  playing  a  Tuna 


The  Leaping  Tuna  77 

on  the  gunwale  pressed  it  down  to  the  water's 
edge  and  cleverly  slid  the  quivering,  struggling 
tuna  into  the  boat,  where  it  pounded  the  planking 
with  such  vigorous  blows  that  the  small  craft 
trembled  from  stem  to  stern.  As  its  fine  propor- 
tions were  revealed,  I  realized  that  we  had  landed 
the  largest  tuna  ever  taken  with  a,  rod.  Its 
actual  weight  was  about  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  pounds;  its  scale  record  weight  on  shore 
after  bleeding  was  one  hundred  and  eighty-three 
pounds ;  its  length  was  six  feet  four  inches. 
This  catch  suggested  the  Tuna  Club,  and  for  two 
years  this  fish  was  the  record  catch  of  this  organi- 
zation. I  have  taken  a  number  of  tunas  since, 
and  have  seen  a  large  number  caught,  but  have 
never  known  a  fish  that  so  thoroughly  exemplified 
the  word  "game";  and  in  justice  to  this  splendid 
fish  which  is  now  in  the  possession  of  a  Chicago 
angler,  I  must  confess  that  a  few  moments  more 
would  have  placed  me  hors  de  combat. 

For  staying  qualities  and  hard  fighting  the 
tuna  in  its  best  condition  excels  any  game  fish 
I  have  taken,  and  one  secret  of  success  is  to 
fight  it  continuously  without  stopping,  as  when 
the  angler  is  resting  the  fish  is  also  recuperating. 
So  fiercely  do  certain  tunas  fight  that  I  have 


78  Big  Game  Fishes 

more  than  once  seen  them  die  suddenly,  and  a 
few  moments  after  a  desperate  rush  come  up 
again  dead.  I  have  been  one  of  three  anglers 
to  battle  with  a  tuna  five  hours.  This  fish, 
though  sorely  wounded,  towed  the  boat  an  esti- 
mated twenty  miles ;  and  had  we  not,  seeing  that 
night  was  coming  on,  and  that  we  were  out  of 
sight  of  Avalon  in  an  open  boat,  hauled  it  in 
by  hand,  I  am  confident  that  the  fish,  which 
weighed  but  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds, 
might  have  towed  us  across  the  Santa  Catalina 
channel  or  for  an  indefinite  distance.  Another 
tuna  fought  Mr.  W.  Woods  and  boatman  fifteen 
hours  and  then  escaped.  Yet  other  fishes  are 
caught  in  from  thirty  minutes  to  an  hour.  Dur- 
ing the  season  of  1902  Judge  Beaman  of  Denver, 
Colorado,  fought  a  tuna  of  unknown  size,  which 
towed  the  twenty-two-foot  launch  from  near 
Avalon,  across  the  channel,  to  the  vicinity  of 
Point  Firmin,  an  estimated  twenty-one  miles, 
in  six  hours  and  a  half.  The  fish  was  lost  at 
the  gaffing ;  the  line  had  chafed  off  at  the  swivel. 
Many  tunas,  as  stated,  are  caught  in  a  short 
time;  but,  as  a  rule,  such  fish  are  in  poor  con- 
dition, or  have  just  spawned,  and  lack  their  nor- 
mal vigor. 


C.   F.   HOLDER  AND   HIS   RECORD    TUNA,    183    POUNDS 

Time  of  catch,  4  hours.     Fish  towed  the  boat  10  miles.     This  was  the  first  large 
Tuna  that  was  caught 


The  Leaping  Tuna  79 

The  largest  tuna  ever  taken  with  rod  and 
reel  was  landed  by  Colonel  C.  P.  Morehous  of 
Pasadena,  California,  in  four  hours ;  it  weighed 
two  hundred  and  fifty-one  pounds,  and  is  the 
record  to-day.  Mr.  H.  Gray  Griswold  of  New 
York  succeeded  in  taking  a  number  of  fishes  in 
less  time  than  had  been  previously  accomplished, 
and  demonstrated  that  they  could  be  caught  at 
any  time  during  the  day.  The  largest  number 
taken  in  any  one  season  fell  to  the  rod  of  Mr. 
E.  L.  Doran  of  Avalon,  who  has  done  much  to 
make  this  sport  what  it  is,  having  been  one  of 
the  early  pioneers  in  the  strenuous  pastime. 

Among  the  exciting  personal  experiences  inci- 
dent to  this  sport  which  I  recall  was  being  cap- 
sized by  a  tuna  nearly  a  mile  offshore.  I  was 
trying  the  experiment  of  tuna  fishing  with  a 
light  jointed  rod,  seven  and  two-thirds  feet  long, 
weighing  about  fifteen  ounces,  which  I  used  for 
yellowtail.  I  hooked  my  fish,  and  after  a  beauti- 
ful surface  play  of  forty  minutes  brought  it  to 
gaff.  Jim  Gardner,  the  boatman,  gaffed  it  clev- 
erly and  landed  it,  when  the  fish  made  a  con- 
vulsive leap  and  fell  upon  the  gunwale,  capsizing 
the  boat,  which  sank  beneath  us,  rising  bow  up, 
covering  the  water  with  gaffs,  oars,  and  other 


8o  Big  Game  Fishes 

wreckage  of  the  angler's  art.  My  companion, 
Mr.  Townsend  of  Philadelphia,  could  not  swim, 
and  was  otherwise  embarrassed  by  a  heavy  over- 
coat; and  as  the  boat  rolled  over  and  evidently 
would  not  hold  three,  Gardner  and  I  started 
to  swim  to  the  launch,  which  had  been  lying 
off,  some  distance  away,  and  which  was  now 
coming  up,  while  Mr.  Townsend  rested  upon 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  assuring  us  that  he  was 
all  right.  As  I  neared  the  launch  I  heard  the 
boatman's  wife,  who  was  aboard,  scream  that 
her  husband  was  drowning,  and  turning,  saw 
that  Gardner  had  disappeared.  Visions  of  cer- 
tain big  hammerhead  sharks  flashed  through 
my  mind ;  but  as  I  stopped,  endeavoring  to  look 
down  into  the  blue  depths,  up  he  came,  and  I 
discovered  that  he  still  held  my  tuna  by  the 
gaff ;  in  fact,  he  had  never  relinquished  his  grasp 
upon  the  handle,  and  was  towing  the  fish,  the 
latter,  as  it  occasionally  plunged  downward,  tak- 
ing the  plucky  gaffer  out  of  sight — a  perform- 
ance extraordinary  in  its  nature,  which  was 
repeated  three  times.  Each  time  Gardner,  who 
was  a  professional  swimmer  previous  to  his  boat- 
ing career,  dragged  the  tuna  to  the  surface,  and 
after  an  exciting  and  exhausting  swim  we  were 


THE  WORLD'S   RECORD   TUNA 
Caught  by  Mr.  C.  P.  Morehous,  on  rod  and  reel,  2 1  strand  line  ;    weight,  25 1  pounds 


The  Leaping  Tuna  81 

picked  up,  the  launch  and  a  fisherman  from  shore 
reaching  us  about  the  same  moment,  Gardner 
securing  a  rope  which  his  wife  tossed  him.  I 
was  burdened  with  a  heavy  corduroy  hunting 
suit  and  leggings,  and  found  that  I  could  not 
lift  myself  aboard,  nor  could  the  two  men  haul 
me  in,  so  I  was  lashed  to  the  rail,  Gardner 
throwing  his  legs  about  the  propeller.  In  this 
position  we  rested  a  moment,  then  by  a  supreme 
effort  I  was  hauled  in,  and  while  the  crew  held 
me  by  the  legs  I  leaned  over;  and  as  Gardner 
lifted  up  the  still  struggling  fish,  I  thrust  my 
arm  into  its  mouth  and  grasped  it  firmly  by 
the  gills ;  Gardner  took  a  half  hitch  about  its 
tail  with  a  rope,  and  the  men  hauled  upon  my 
legs,  and  with  a  resounding  cheer  we  dropped 
the  leaping  tuna  into  the  cockpit  —  a  laughable 
climax  to  a  seemingly  irrational  and  impossible 
fish  story.  The  tuna,  which  hangs  on  my  study 
wall,  weighed  but  ninety-five  pounds.  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  Gardner  received  the  prizes  of 
the  Tuna  Club  for  the  first  tuna  of  the  season 
won  in  the  angling  tournament  of  that  year. 

The  rush  of  the  tunas  as  they  drive  in  the 
frightened,  demoralized  flying-fishes  is  an  excit- 
ing and  dramatic  sight.  Droves  of  the  fliers 


82  Big  Game  Fishes 

are  forced  out  of  the  water,  often  to  the  beach, 
and  the  wind,  catching  their  wings,  will  take 
them  twenty  or  more  feet  into  the  air,  where 
they  soar  away  like  a  flock  of  gigantic  insects, 
gleaming  in  the  sunlight  like  silver.  In  this 
pastime  the  tunas  are  fearless.  They  dash  into 
the  kelp,  high  in  air,  or  occasionally  out  upon 
the  rocks;  in  the  case  of  a  friend  one  leaped 
over  the  stern  of  his  boat.  One  evening  at  dusk 
a  school  of  tunas  drove  the  flying-fishes  inshore, 
and  as  they  passed  over  and  struck  our  boat, 
one  coming  at  full  speed  hit  me  behind  the  ear, 
nearly  knocking  me  out  of  my  seat.  Such  are 
some  of  the  incidents,  more  or  less  amusing, 
in  this  strenuous  sport  among  the  Californian 
islands. 

Of  all  fishes  the  tuna  is  the  acrobat  of  the  sea, 
though  I  doubt  if  the  horizontal  leap  of  thirty 
feet,  accredited  to  a  Texan  tarpon,  has  been 
equalled  by  it ;  but  as  a  high  and  lofty  tumbler, 
a  figure  of  grace,  the  tuna  equals  the  tarpon. 
The  leap  of  the  latter  is  a  wild  bound  into  the 
air,  accompanied  by  a  vigorous  shaking  of  its 
bony  jaws,  the  object  being  to  send  the  hook  fly- 
ing through  the  air ;  and  the  leap,  though  sensa- 
tional, is  not  particularly  graceful.  That  of  the 


Tbe  Leaping  Tuna  83 

tuna  is  accomplished  as  a  result  of  the  attempts 
of  the  fish  to  seize  its  prey,  the  flying-fish,  in  the 
air,  and  is  made  almost  directly  upward  at  the  flier, 
which  is  a  foot  or  more  above  the  surface.  As  a 
rule,  the  mark  is  missed,  and  the  living  arrow  darts 
upward  six,  eight,  ten  feet  at  rare  intervals,  then 
turns  with  the  perfection  of  grace  and  plunges 
headlong  into  the  sea.  It  is  manifestly  impossi- 
ble to  measure  such  a  leap,  yet  on  one  occasion 
I  thought  that  I  saw  nearly  fifteen  feet  attained, 
though  I  may  have  been  mistaken,  and  freely 
confess  to  the  excitement  so  often  an  aid  to  the 
imagination.  At  the  time  the  observation  was 
made  I  was  drifting  in  the  largest  school  of  tunas 
I  had  seen.  I  had  noticed  the  school  sweeping 
up  the  coast  of  the  island,  the  channel  covered 
with  whitecaps  for  acres,  caused  by  the  rushing, 
leaping  fish,  and  had  rowed  out  in  a  light  skiff  to 
meet  it.  Tunas  were  in  the  air  on  all  sides; 
others  rushing  along  the  surface,  while  the  flying- 
fishes  soared  in  all  directions  in  such  numbers 
that  I  watched  them  carefully  to  avoid  the 
winged  projectiles.  Looking  down  I  could  see 
numbers  so  terrified  that  they  swam  close  to  the 
keel  to  elude  the  savage  tunas.  The  latter  were 
leaping  and  plunging  about  me,  and  I  realized 


84  Big  Game  Fishes 

that  if  one  fell  into  the  boat  it  would  pass 
through  it  as  though  paper;  hence  believing 
discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,  I  began  to  row 
out  of  the  school,  but  not  before  I  had  attempted 
a  mental  calculation  of  the  height  of  some  of 
the  leaps  which  were  being  made  about  me.  As 
I  stood  upon  the  seat  of  the  skiff,  the  rushes  of 
the  tunas  into  the  air  appeared  to  the  excited 
spectator,  who  may  in  these  few  moments  have 
seen  things  which  did  not  exist,  to  reach  a  point 
five  or  six  feet  higher  than  his  head. 

The  possibility  of  approaching  schools  of  these 
fish  suggests  various  methods  of  taking  them. 
That  most  in  vogue  is  to  follow  a  school  and 
endeavor  to  head  it  off,  or  so  encircle  it  that  the 
bait  will  cross  the  leaders ;  as  a  rule,  two  strikes 
are  had  if  two  lines  are  out,  and  several  times 
both  fishes  have  been  saved.  I  have  succeeded 
in  obtaining  a  strike  when  tunas  were  not  biting 
by  heading  off  the  school  and  casting  into  it, 
which  is  accomplished  by  reeling  the  line  all  in, 
having  the  heavy  flying-fish  as  near  the  tip  as 
possible.  When  the  bait  lands  in  the  school 
with  a  splash,  the  tunas  evidently  consider  it 
an  exhausted  flying-fish  alighting,  and  forthwith 
charge  it.  When  other  methods  have  failed, 


The  Leaping  Tuna  85 

they  have  been  induced  to  bite  by  running  a 
launch  at  full  speed,  with  a  large,  brilliant  bait, 
a  white  rag,  or  a  large  bone  jig;  this  was  the 
method  adopted  by  the  professional  fishermen 
years  ago,  a  fast  sail-boat  being  used ;  but  in  this 
way  only  a  hand-line  can  be  employed  to  advan- 
tage. The  tuna  will  readily  bite  up  to  eight 
o'clock  at  night,  or  until  the  phosphorescence 
becomes  too  brilliant,  and  often  in  the  morning 
at  Avalon  flying-fishes  are  found  in  boats  or  on 
the  beaches,  where  they  have  soared  to  avoid 
this  rapacious  fish. 

The  breeding  habits  of  the  tuna  in  this  region 
are  unknown.  The  Mediterranean  is  a  breeding 
ground,  and  doubtless  the  Santa  Catalina  channel 
is  a  depository  for  the  spawn,  which  is  laid 
in  the  open  sea  floating  on  the  surface,  but 
young  tunas  have  never  been  seen  here;  the 
smallest  observed  were  about  three  feet  in  length, 
the  average  adult  weighing  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  In  1902  schools  of  tunas  were 
seen  in  February,  several  fishes  being  hooked 
and  one  caught  in  March ;  but  this  was  unusual. 
It  is  supposed  that  they  are  offshore  either  in 
deep  water  or  in  milder  regions  to  the  south  in 
the  larger  field  of  the  open  sea.  In  appearance 


86  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  tuna,  Thunnus  thynnus  of  science,  the  king 
of  the  mackerels,  is  trim,  attractive,  a  type  of 
activity,  a  model  of  speed,  and  doubtless  the 
giant  of  the  true  fishes,  attaining  a  weight  of 
fifteen  hundred  pounds  or  more  ;  a  well-equipped 
foeman  for  the  angler  who  goes  down  to  the  sea 
after  large  game. 

In  the  winter  the  fishes  take  to  warmer  water 
in  the  open  sea ;  at  least  this  is  the  supposition, 
as  vessels  report  them  at  various  times.  The 
tuna  was  first  described  by  Linnaeus,  and  there 
is  but  a  single  genus  and  species,  the  fish  being 
a  world-wide  wanderer  in  the  warmer  seas.  In 
the  water  the  fish  appears  green,  with  flashes  of 
yellow ;  but  when  landed,  the  back  or  upper  por- 
tion is  seen  to  be  a  vivid,  even  iridescent  blue, 
the  lower  portion  silver,  in  some  instances  gray. 
The  body  is  oblong,  shaped  like  the  model  of 
some  modern  yachts,  evidently  built  for  speed. 
The  tail  has  a  decided  fork,  and  is  a  powerful 
organ,  upon  each  side  of  which  are  pronounced 
keels.  The  dorsal  fin  fits  into  a  scabbard,  and  the 
side  or  pectoral  fins  in  old  individuals  fit  into 
shallow  depressions.  The  scales  are  seemingly 
covered  with  an  outer  skin.  The  first  dorsal 
is  strong  and  powerful,  and  contains  from  twelve 


The  Leaping  Tuna  87 

to  fifteen  spines ;  the  second  dorsal  and  anal  bear 
a  spikelike  fin,  following  which  are  from  eight  to 
ten  finlets,  colored  a  vivid  yellow.  The  teeth  are 
very  small,  so  that  the  prey  —  sardines,  flying- 
fishes,  or  squid  —  is  crushed  rather  than  cut 
The  flesh  of  the  tuna  is  excellent,  dark  and  meat- 
like  ;  but  owing  to  the  quantity  of  other  kinds  of 
edible  fish  it  finds  little  favor  among  Americans, 
the  catches  being  taken  by  Italian  and  Portu- 
guese fishermen  along  the  Pacific  coast.  On  the 
Mediterranean  it  is  greatly  in  demand,  but  in 
America  its  chief  value  is  to  anglers,  who  will  go 
thousands  of  miles  to  take  it,  the  sport  and  that 
of  tarpon  fishing  well  illustrating  the  importance 
of  a  mere  pastime  as  one  of  the  assets  of  a  state. 
The  tarpon  brings  thousands  of  dollars  into 
Florida  and  Texas.  The  game  commissioners 
of  Maine  estimate  that  sportsmen  bring  five 
million  dollars  into  their  state  yearly,  while  at 
a  recent  trial  involving  the  protection  of  the 
game  fishes  of  California  a  commissioner  testi- 
fied that  the  game  of  all  kinds  of  the  state 
brought  two  million  dollars  to  the  coast  per  an- 
num, which  shows  that  sport  has  become  one  of 
the  assets  of  the  nation,  to  be  carefully  protected 
and  conserved  in  the  interests  of  the  people. 


CHAPTER   V 

THE   BARRACUDA   OF   FLORIDA 

"  Do  but  fish  this  stream  like  an  artist  and  peradventure  a 
good  fish  may  fall  to  your  share."  —  IZAAK  WALTON. 

IN  the  various  works  on  game  fishes  in  this 
country  and  Europe,  I  have  never  seen  the 
barracuda  included  among  those  fishes  worthy 
the  angler's  attention,  and  as  the  result  of  several 
years'  sport  with  this  long,  rakish  craft  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  where  it  was  taken  with  rod, 
cast-line,  and  grains,  from  one  to  six  feet  in 
length,  I  welcome  the  opportunity  to  do  it  tardy 
justice.  My  attention  was  first  attracted  to  the 
fish  by  meeting  a  Conch  on  the  reef,  who  an- 
swered to  the  name  of  "  Barracuda."  I  learned 
later  that  he  had  earned  the  title  as  a  result  of  a 
sanguinary  battle  with  a  very  large  barracuda 
which  had  attacked  him  when  swimming,  lacerat- 
ing him  so  severely  that  he  carried  the  marks  for 
life. 

At  first  glance  the  inland  angler  familiar  with 

88 


Tbe  Barracuda  of  Florida  89 

the  muskallunge  would  possibly  mistake  the  bar- 
racuda for  this  gamy  fish  of  the  lakes,  as  it  is 
long,  slender,  and  pikelike;  a  silvery  arrow,  a 
privateerlike  fish,  trim,  alert,  and  possessed  of  re- 
markable cunning.  Its  head  is  long  and  pointed. 
The  mouth  wide,  the  lower  jaw  slightly  protrud- 
ing, giving  it  a  bulldog  appearance,  which  in  old 
fishes  becomes  the  support  or  base  of  a  single 
large  tooth,  a  companion  to  others  of  large  size 
and  bladelike  shape  which  make  up  its  armament. 
The  first  dorsal  fin  stands  up  alone  like  a  leg-of- 
mutton  sail,  boomed  out  by  five  spines.  The 
second  is  equally  isolated,  corresponding  to  the 
anal.  The  tail  is  forked  and  a  powerful  organ 
for  propulsion,  and  very  expressive  in  the  sense 
of  the  tail  of  a  cat,  vibrating  in  a  singular  man- 
ner when  the  fish  is  about  to  pounce  upon  its 
prey. 

There  is  a  single  genus,  Sphyrtena,  and  twenty 
species,  61.  barracuda  (Walbaum)  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  being  the  subject  of  this  chapter.  It 
attains  the  length  of  between  six  and  seven  feet, 
and  the  weight  of  sixty  or  seventy  pounds,  this 
being  my  personal  observation;  and  I  have  been 
informed  by  "  reef  combers "  that  larger  speci- 
mens have  been  taken.  The  range  of  the  fish 


90  Big  Game  Fishes 

appears  to  be  from  Brazil  to  North  Carolina,  but 
the  outer  Florida  reef  and  the  warm  waters  of 
the  West  Indies  are  its  favorite  haunts,  where  the 
large  individuals  enter  the  deep-blue  channels  of 
reefs  and  the  smaller  fishes  frequent  the  shallow 
lagoons.  The  color  of  the  barracuda  is  influ- 
enced more  or  less  by  its  environment.  I  have 
seen  them  on  the  gray  or  nearly  white  coral 
sandy  bottom  of  a  lagoon  when  their  simula- 
tion of  the  tone  was  almost  perfect.  The  large 
specimens  are  frequently  dark  green  above,  or 
gray ;  the  sides  in  the  young  splashed  with  black, 
occasionally  having  a  decided  black  stripe;  the 
sides  and  under  portion  of  adults  silver ;  some  of 
the  fins  dark. 

About  the  keys  of  the  Tortugas  group  the  fish 
is  found  in  great  numbers.  The  spawning  occurs 
in  early  spring.  Very  young  fishes  are  rarely 
seen ;  others  from  eight  inches  to  two  feet  being 
common  in  the  shallows.  Certain  barracudas 
school,  this  being  particularly  true  of  the  Cali- 
fornian  species,  to  be  referred  to ;  but  the  great 
Florida  barracuda  is  a  "  solitary,"  an  ugly,  fierce, 
and  threatening  fish,  and  I  can  conceive  of  no 
"countenance"  more  savage  and  vindictive  among 
fishes  than  this,  coming,  as  I  have  seen  it,  out  of 


The  Barracuda  of  Florida  91 

the  blue  as  it  followed,  wolflike,  stealthily  in  my 
wake  when  sculling  a  dinghy  across  the  channel. 
All  my  catches  were  made  from  Key  West  to 
Loggerhead,  within  a  radius  of  sixty  miles,  and 
most  of  them  in  the  beautiful  blue  arterylike 
channels  which  encircle  Garden,  Bush,  Sand, 
Bird,  and  other  keys,  where  they  could  always 
be  found.  The  fish  is  extremely  curious,  and 
so  marked  are  its  peculiarities  that  I  was  con- 
tinually comparing  it  to  land  animals.  In  its 
curiosity  it  called  to  mind  the  antelope,  as  by 
certain  actions  it  could  easily  be  attracted  within 
reach  of  the  grains  or  so  that  I  could  cast  a  live 
"  shad "  (Xystcema  cinereum),  mullet,  or  young 
garfish  before  it.  This  was  accomplished  in  an 
absurdly  simple  manner,  none  less  than  by  tying 
a  bit  of  white  cloth  upon  a  string  about  four  feet 
long  and  trolling  it  behind.  As  a  result,  sooner 
or  later,  I  would  see  the  ugly  pointed  jaw  and 
black  eyes  of  a  barracuda  come  out  of  the  gloom 
and  approach  to  within  a  few  feet,  moving  first 
to  one  side,  then  to  the  other,  shooting  ahead 
slightly,  then  dropping  astern,  but  never  making 
an  effort  to  attack.  The  fish  was  merely  curious, 
and  would  dash  away  at  the  first  alarm. 

By  this  it  must  not  be  assumed  that  it  was  an 


92  Big  Game  Fishes 

easy  fish  to  take  with  the  rod ;  quite  the  reverse 
in  my  experience,  and  I  have  frequently  spent 
hours  in  attempts  to  beguile  a  barracuda.  In 
fishing  for  large  specimens  I  found  the  borders 
of  the  channels,  where  the  coral  had  broken 
away,  forming  an  opening  into  a  lagoon,  a  favorite 
resort,  and  by  sculling  the  boat  along  the  edge, 
either  with  the  rag  out,  or  slowly  manipulating 
the  oar,  a  barracuda  could  almost  always  be 
"  flushed."  Then  a  hook,  baited  with  live  fish,  — 
shad1  preferred,  —  was  slowly  dropped  over.  In 
many  instances  the  fish  would  dart  away,  but 
if  it  so  happened  that  it  was  hungry,  it  would 
poise,  its  tail  vibrating,  its  hypnotic  eyes  glaring 
upon  the  victim,  its  muzzle  slowly  sinking  and 
following  as  though  to  charm  it;  then  it  would 
move  on,  never  rushing  or  darting,  but  in  meas- 
ured movement,  the  personification  of  dignity, 
until  its  nose  touched  the  bait,  when  it  would 
snap  it  up  so  rapidly  that  the  eye  could  not 
follow  the  motion.  The  bait  was  generally  seized 
by  the  tail,  and  the  great  fish  would  rise  very 
slowly,  holding  the  struggling  shad  for  a  moment, 

1  This  is  not  the  shad  of  the  North,  but  a  small,  very  silvery 
fish  known  on  the  reef  as  "  shad,"  and  in  Porto  Rico  as  Mojarra 
(Xystcema) . 


The  Barracuda  of  Florida  93 

perhaps  two,  apparently  enjoying  its  struggles  as 
it  beat  against  its  muzzle  in  desperate  efforts  to 
escape ;  then  would  come  another  gulp,  and  the 
silvery  bait  disappeared. 

Such  was  a  typical  strike,  the  entire  operation 
being  distinctly  visible  from  my  position  in  the 
stern  of  the  dinghy.  When  the  bait  was  swal- 
lowed or  taken  entirely  into  the  mouth,  I  would 
slowly  reel  in  until  all  the  slack  was  taken ;  by 
that  time  the  barracuda  would  feel  the  fine  cop- 
per-wire leader  and  would  give  a  convulsive 
shake  of  its  head,  then  fairly  leap  into  motion, 
as  it  tore  the  line  from  the  reel,  becoming  at  once 
a  type  of  activity.  Fifty,  one  hundred  or  more 
feet  of  the  line  were  taken  before  its  rush  was 
stopped,  then  like  an  arrow  it  circled  the  boat, 
hissing  along  the  surface  as  I  jumped  for  the  bow 
and  as  I  hooked  it,  whirling  the  light  dinghy 
about  and  towing  it  up  the  channel  as  would 
a  small  shark.  Slowly  the  reel  would  eat  up  the 
line,  and  finally,  seeing  the  boat,  the  fish  would 
dash  down  with  an  impetuous  rush,  making  the 
click  sing  again,  rising  to  circle  the  boat  once 
more  and  again  slowly  coming  in  after  a  splen- 
did display  of  strength  and  power.  Such  a  fish 
would  often  defy  a  single  man,  trying  to  gaff  his 


94  Big  Game  Fishes 

own  fish,  for  an  hour  and  then  drench  him,  as  it 
thrashed  the  water  in  a  final  struggle,  snapping 
viciously  and  seizing  the  woodwork  in  its  ugly 
teeth  in  rage  or  agony. 

Another  method  of  taking  the  large  barracuda 
was  to  have  a  boatman  row  me  along  the 
channels,  and  troll,  using  mullet  or  sardine  bait ; 
but  the  most  satisfactory  method  was  to  first 
attract  their  attention,  then  take  them  when  all 
their  movements  could  be  observed.  The  cap- 
ture of  a  six-foot  barracuda  is  by  no  means  an 
easy  matter  if  the  rod  is  used,  and  even  with  a 
cast-line  the  fish  makes  a  long  and  vigorous  fight, 
never  giving  up.  The  tackle  employed  in  this 
sport  was  similar  to  that  used  in  white  sea-bass 
fishing ;  but  the  line  should  be  light,  a  number 
twelve  cuttyhunk ;  that  is,  if  the  angler  wishes  to 
fairly  match  his  skill  with  that  of  the  fish.  The 
leader  should  be  a  long,  slender,  copper  wire ;  the 
hook  small  (I  preferred  a  2/0  O'Shaughnessy, 
though  many  use  a  larger  hook) ;  the  bait  pro- 
portioned to  the  size  of  the  fish.  For  the  largest 
barracuda  a  mullet  four  inches  long  is  sufficient. 
It  is  a  purely  carnivorous  fish,  requiring  bait  with 
shining  sides,  like  mullet,  sardines,  gar,  young  of 
their  own  kind,  scorning,  at  least  in  my  experi- 


The  Barracuda  of  Florida  95 

ence,  crayfish,  shrimp,  worms,  conch,  and  other 
baits  in  vogue  on  the  reef  for  other  fishes. 

This  barracuda  affords  excellent  sport  in  all 
stages  of  its  growth,  the  young,  from  one  to  two 
feet  long,  being  very  gamy  and  remarkably  cun- 
ning. A  favorite  place  for  them  was  off  the 
shores  of  a  key  from  which  I  could  distinctly  see 
every  object  thirty  or  forty  feet  from  shore.  The 
fishes  could  be  seen  lying  motionless  a  few  inches 
from  the  bottom,  so  simulating  it  in  color  and 
tint,  that  they  often  appeared  the  very  ghost  of 
fishes  or  shadows,  the  latter,  under  the  noonday 
sun,  being  more  conspicuous  than  the  fish.  In 
this  case  I  used  live  or  dead  bait  and  cast  far 
beyond  them,  then  manipulating  the  line  with  the 
greatest  caution  so  that  the  bait  could  be  dragged 
within  their  line  of  vision.  The  moment  a  barra- 
cuda noticed  the  dazzling  silver  of  its  sides,  it 
would  move  slowly  toward  it.  For  this  sport  my 
rod  was  a  nine  or  ten  ounce  bass  rod  slightly 
shortened,  so  that  it  would  not  be  too  pliable,  as 
I  found  that  a  twenty-four-inch  barracuda  is  the 
superior  of  a  much  larger  lake  trout.  On  would 
move  the  barracuda,  as  though  propelled  by  some 
mysterious  force,  until  its  pointed  muzzle  pene- 
trated the  very  sand  beneath  the  bait,  which,  if 


96  Big  Game  Fishes 

dead,  I  now  gently  moved  to  make  it  simulate 
life.  The  fish  would  gaze  at  it  for  a  few  seconds, 
then  back  off  to  move  slowly  forward  again, 
tipping  it  over,  as  though  wondering  what  was 
the  matter ;  and  if  there  was  anything  suspicious 
about  it,  at  this  stage  my  fishing  often  ended. 
They  confessed  to  an  overweening  curiosity, 
nosed  the  bait  and  moved  it,  when  I  succeeded 
in  making  it  struggle,  but  often  would  not  take  it. 
Again  my  patience  would  be  rewarded  by  the 
lightninglike  snap,  and  the  fish  would  rise 
proudly  to  later  take  me  knee-deep  into  the 
water  to  save  the  slender  rod  or  line. 

The  bait  of  baits  is  a  live,  vigorous  sardine  or 
the  "shad"  referred  to,  and  frequently  I  had 
negro  boys  accompany  me  alongshore  with  a 
fine  cast-net,  or  a  long  piece  of  mosquito  bar, 
with  which  small  fry  could  be  taken  and  used 
fresh  from  the  water  when  a  good-sized  barracuda 
was  located.  Such  lures  would  rarely,  if  ever,  be 
refused,  though  I  have  known  certain  fishes  to 
scorn  every  attempt  to  attract  their  attention.  In 
fishing  in  deep  water,  peering  down  into  the 
channel  to  watch  the  graceful  jellyfishes  or  the 
long  purple  anchor  chains  of  the  physalia  as  it 
moved  along,  I  have  seen  the  muzzle  of  a  huge 


The  Barracuda  of  Florida  97 

barracuda  come  into  view,  the  arrowlike  form 
moving  gracefully,  imperceptibly  by,  like  some 
grotesque  torpedo  with  staring  black  eyes.  Such 
fishes  are  dreaded  by  old  "  reefers,"  and  many 
stones  are  related,  especially  of  the  Bahama  bar- 
racuda, which  suggest  that  as  regards  fierceness, 
the  fish  should  be  classed  with  the  shark.  Yet  it 
was  my  custom  with  others  to  swim  across  and 
through  a  deep  channel  daily  where  large  barra- 
cudas were  abundant,  and  so-called  man-eaters 
more  so ;  but  we  were  never  disturbed,  and  the 
only  reliable  instance  of  a  barracuda  attacking  a 
swimmer,  that  came  under  my  notice,  was  the 
one  referred  to.  Regarding  the  vicious  reputa- 
tion of  the  great  fish,  Jordan  and  Evermann  say 
that  it  is  "  sometimes  dangerous  to  bathers,  being 
fierce  as  a  shark." 

The  barracuda  is  an  edible  fish.  Outside  what 
might  be  termed  "pan-fishes,"  as  yellowtails, 
grunts,  and  a  few  others  which  are  excellent,  I 
would  give  it  the  first  place;  yet  on  the  Cuban 
coast  and  in  some  of  the  West  India  Islands  the 
fish  is  supposed  to  be  poisonous  at  times.  This 
was  certainly  not  true  seventy  miles  from  Cuba, 
where  I  caught  and  ate  the  fish  every  month  in 
the  year.  At  Bahama  and  along  the  reefs  of  the 


98  Big  Game  Fishes 

West  India  Islands  and  at  our  province  of  Porto 
Rico  the  barracuda  attains,  according  to  common 
report,  a  very  large  size,  eight  feet  being  men- 
tioned as  its  maximum  growth  by  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission. 

Of  the  habits  of  the  great  barracuda  in  its 
solitudes,  little  is  known.  The  fish  so  interested 
me  by  its  singular  personality  that  I  watched  it 
whenever  opportunity  offered,  and  it  was  always 
the  uncompromising  foe  to  small  fry,  lurking 
near  schools  of  sardines  or  mullets,  creeping  upon 
them  with  the  slightest  display  of  motion  on  the 
part  of  its  fins,  conveying  the  impression  of  a 
Machiavellian  cunning,  of  ferocity  coupled  with 
"  ways  that  are  dark,"  its  entire  make-up  being 
suggestive  of  the  tiger  which  creeps  upon  its 
victim  and  delights  in  playing  with  it. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE  CALIFORNIA   BARRACUDA 

"  Angling  is  somewhat  like  poetry,  men  are  to  be  born  so." 

—  IZAAK  WALTON. 

IN  May  or  June  the  picturesque,  lateen-rigged 
boats  of  the  Venetian  and  Portuguese  fishermen 
of  San  Pedro,  California,  go  out  in  search  of  the 
barracuda  which  is  due  at  this  time,  coming  in 
from  the  outer  and  deeper  sea,  or  from  "down 
alongshore,"  that  mysterious  locality  where  many 
fishes  winter.  They  have  two  or  more  hand- 
lines  boomed  out  to  starboard  and  port,  and 
before  the  stiff  trade,  fly  over  the  Santa  Catalina 
channel  trolling  for  the  California  barracuda, 
probably  the  most  valuable  food-fish  on  this 
particular  piscatorial  horizon.  The  fisherman 
has  a  cord  or  sheet  fastened  to  his  boomed-out 
lines,  and  when  a  strike  comes,  or  the  bone  jig 
is  taken,  he  hauls  the  line  aboard  by  this  con- 
trivance and  brings  in  the  fish  hand  over  hand, 
without  even  luffing  for  courtesy. 

99 


ioo  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  discerning  angler  may  read  between  the 
lines  the  truth.  This  barracuda  is  the  antipodes 
of  its  Floridian  namesake  and  kinsman,  and  its 
appearance  in  these  pages  is  due  to  one  fish, 
one  of  many  taken,  which  made  a  gallant  fight, 
and  the  fact  that  barracuda  fishing  is  one  of 
the  sports  and  pastimes  all  along  the  coast  of 
Southern  California  from  San  Diego  to  Santa 
Barbara  and  beyond.  It  comes  in  large  schools, 
in  this  also  being  totally  unlike  its  Gulf  of 
Mexico  cousin,  and  often  tints  the  very  waters 
a  delicate  yellow  with  its  vast  numbers.  In 
looking  down  from  the  boat  thousands  of  pointed 
muzzles  and  black  eyes  are  seen,  the  fishes  often 
lying  so  thick  that  they  appear  to  be  a  solid 
mass;  so  closely  packed  that  I  have  hooked  a 
fish  accidentally  by  jerking  it  up  among  them. 
At  such  times  the  barracuda  will  not  bite.  You 
may  dangle  the  most  luscious  morsel  at  its  very 
nose,  but  it  will  scornfully  pass  on ;  at  others, 
especially  in  water  slightly  rough,  the  schools 
appear  to  break  up,  yet  retain  a  certain  con- 
tinuity, and  then  they  bite ;  not  occasionally, 
but  all  the  time,  and  seriously  interfere  with 
yellowtail  fishing.  This,  with  apologies  to  the 
devotees  of  the  barracuda. 


Tbe  California  Barracuda  101 

Owing  to  its  sharp  muzzle,  it  is  somewhat 
difficult  to  hook  the  fish,  and  it  has  an  aggravat- 
ing method  of  nibbling  at  the  bait,  or  nosing  it. 
The  novice,  thinking  this  a  genuine  strike,  gives 
M.  Barracuda  the  "  butt  "  and  misses  again  and 
again,  reeling  in  to  find  that  this  inglorious  sam- 
pler has  bitten  off  a  piece  of  the  tail  of  the 
sardine  as  a  souvenir ;  hence,  the  fish  has  become 
known  as  a  promoter  of  invective  on  the  part  of 
the  boatmen  who  are  baiters  as  well.  To  obviate 
all  this,  the  angler  should  not  endeavor  to  hook 
at  the  first  nibble  but,  if  it  is  a  decided  strike, 
should  slack  off  the  line,  overreeling  for  a  few 
feet,  thus  affording  the  fish  an  opportunity  to 
swallow  the  bait.  If  hooked  some  individuals 
surrender  at  once,  refuse  on  any  terms  to  be  a 
party  to  sport  of  this  kind.  One  fish,  which  I 
hooked,  deliberately  swam  toward  me,  saving  me 
the  trouble  of  reeling,  and  I  doubt  not  would 
have  jumped  into  the  boat,  as  they  have  been 
known  to  do,  had  not  the  dismayed  boatman, 
with  an  ill-concealed  "Well,  I'll  be  dogged!" 
jerked  it  aboard  with  the  gaff. 

To  offer  this  as  a  type  of  the  California  bar- 
racuda would  possibly  be  a  libel  upon  the  species 
argentea,  as  nearly  all  fight  as  well  as  the  average 


102  Big  Game  Fishes 

pickerel  of  seven  or  eight  pounds.  The  fish 
referred  to  at  the  beginning  of  the  chapter  was 
taken  on  an  eight-ounce  split  bamboo  trout  rod, 
with  a  number  nine  cuttyhunk  line,  and  gave 
excellent  sport ;  making  fine  rushes,  swerving 
from  side  to  side,  and  finally  at  the  surface,  lash- 
ing the  water  into  foam,  acting  in  so  gamy  a 
manner  that  the  boatman  expressed  the  opinion 
that  it  was  insane.  A  trout  rod  is  too  light  for 
the  barracuda,  which  runs  up  to  fifteen  pounds 
and  is  often  four  feet  in  length.  I  would  suggest 
a  light  greenheart,  or  a  split  bamboo,  such  as 
would  be  used  for  pickerel  in  Eastern  waters. 
The  barracudas  are  taken  almost  entirely  by  troll- 
ing, although  the  professional  fishermen  "  chum  " 
them  up  at  times,  and  when  they  "get  them  on 
the  run,"  haul  them  in  as  fast  as  the  lines  touch 
the  water,  using  a  white  rag  as  bait,  the  barra- 
cudas, like  mackerel,  losing  their  heads  and  snap- 
ping at  anything.  The  most  satisfactory  sport 
I  have  had  with  these  fishes  was  to  cast  into  a 
school  where  they  were  biting,  and  by  reeling 
quickly  take  them ;  in  this  way  they  will  often 
follow  the  bait  up  to  the  boat,  displaying  no  fear. 
The  California  barracuda  is  Sphyrcena  argen- 
tea  (Girard)  and  like  its  Gulf  of  Mexico  relative 


The  California  Barracuda  103 

belongs  to  the  family  Spkyr&nid&.  It  is  a  long 
and  very  slender  fish,  the  lower  jaw  projecting, 
the  muzzle  sharp  and  pointed,  the  eyes  black 
and  conspicuous.  Its  colors  are  brown  or  green 
above,  the  belly  white.  When  taken  from  the 
water  the  back,  like  that  of  the  yellowtail,  often 
takes  on  a  bluish,  almost  iridescent,  hue.  The 
fins  are  tinted  a  light  yellow,  so  that  when  the 
fish  is  seen  deep  in  the  water,  it  is  sometimes 
mistaken  for  the  yellowtail.  Along  the  mainland 
the  barracuda  rarely  ventures  inshore,  most  of 
the  catches  from  San  Diego  to  Santa  Cruz  being 
made  from  one  to  five  or  more  miles  from  the  surf ; 
but  at  the  islands,  —  San  Clemente,  Santa  Cata- 
lina,  Anacapa,  Santa  Rosa,  Santa  Cruz,  and  San 
Miguel, — where  deep  water  sweeps  the  very  rocks, 
the  barracuda  is  caught  not  one  hundred  feet 
from  shore,  great  schools  moving  up  and  down  the 
fringes  of  kelp  —  the  fishes'  highway  —  in  search 
of  anchovies,  sardines,  and  squid,  the  food  of  its 
choice.  There  are  several  "runs"  of  this  fish, 
which  mean  that  large  schools  move  in,  or  up 
the  coast,  at  intervals.  That  they  follow  the 
general  contour  of  the  mainland  is  certain,  as  in 
the  spring  the  barracuda  is  first  reported  from 
Coronado;  then  the  fishermen  catch  them  from 


104  Big  Game  Fishes 

boats  off  Redondo  and  San  Pedro,  and  it  will 
be  often  two  weeks  after  this  that  it  appears  at 
Santa  Catalina  and  other  islands,  where  it  is  taken 
with  more  or  less  regularity  up  to  August  and 
sometimes  later;  in  September  it  disappears. 

The  barracuda  spawns  in  San  Diego  Bay  and 
at  San  Pedro,  and  I  have  seen  young  barracudas 
about  two  inches  in  length  in  Avalon  Bay  and 
hence  assume  that  this  harbor  is  also  a  spawn- 
ing ground.  The  young  were  in  the  kelp  in 
schools  of  perhaps  two  or  three  hundred,  and 
were  remarkable  for  their  shyness,  it  being  almost 
impossible  to  catch  them,  and  for  the  rapidity 
with  which  they  moved.  The  entire  school,  as 
though  prompted  by  a  single  thought,  would 
dash  away  several  feet  and  take  up  a  position, 
all  headed  in  one  direction;  and  when  alarmed, 
make  a  second  move,  always  preserving  a  certain 
continuity,  most  interesting  to  the  observer,  peer- 
ing down  through  the  olive-green  fronds  of  the 
kelp.  I  have  never  observed  at  any  of  the 
islands  a  barracuda  between  the  very  small1 
specimens  and  the  adult,  but  intelligent  fisher- 
men have  informed  me  that  barracudas  of  all 
sizes  are  found  in  the  fine  bay  of  San  Diego. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE   BLACK  SEA-BASS 

"  Hugest  of  all  fishes  in  the  sea 
For  they  were  formed  by  heaven's  great  king 
Before  all  other  earthly  thing." 

—  The  Voyage  of  St.  Brandon  (Mediaeval) . 

AROUND  many  portions  of  the  Californian 
coast,  especially  its  islands,  there  is  a  submarine 
forest  of  great  density.  The  trees  are  repre- 
sented by  the  so-called  kelp,  the  Macrocystis, 
which  attains  a  length  of  several  hundred 
feet,  rising  upward  in  broad  deep-green  leaves 
of  gigantic  size,  which  swing  in  the  current 
undulating  like  living  things,  forming  a  maze  or 
forest,  which,  while  easily  seen,  is  a  closed  region 
even  to  the  diver  owing  to  the  intricate  convo- 
lutions of  the  plants.  Looking  down  into  this 
mimic  forest  when  the  sun  is  overhead,  the  scene, 
especially  when  observed  through  a  water-glass, 
or  a  glass-bottom  boat,  is  fascinating.  Arches, 
loops,  parterres,  festoons,  colonnades,  every  pos- 

105 


io6  Big  Game  Fishes 

sible  conception  which  the  imagination  might 
devise,  is  seen,  glorified  by  the  sunlight  and 
bathed  in  marvellous  tints  of  green,  while 
through  every  interstice  the  deep-blue  water 
forms  a  matchless  mosaic.  At  low  tide  the 
long  fluted  leaves  lie  like  snakes  upon  the  sur- 
face, the  wind  often  lifting  them,  but  at  the  flood 
they  are  submerged  and  swing  in  the  current  at 
an  angle  of  thirty-five  or  forty  degrees ;  now 
straightening  up  or  turning,  according  to  the 
whim  or  fancy  of  the  mysterious  currents  which 
are  found  about  these  islands  bathed  by  the 
Kuroshiwo,  the  great  Black  Current  of  Japan. 

This  submarine  forest  is  the  home  of  the  king 
of  the  bass,  Stereolepis  gigas  (Ayres),  the  gigantic 
black  sea-bass,  possibly  the  largest  of  all  the 
serranoids.  In  appearance  it  bears  a  marked 
resemblance  to  the  small  black  bass.  Imagine 
a  small-mouth  black  bass  seven  feet  in  length, 
weighing  six  or  seven  hundred  pounds,  and  some 
idea  of  this  monster,  which  is  a  common  fish  in 
the  region  described,  may  be  conceived.  It  has 
been  my  good  fortune  to  see  the  fish  in  its  native 
haunts.  Lying  prone  on  the  deck  of  a  small 
boat,  with  my  face  within  a  foot  of  the  water,  I 
was  watching  my  bait  forty  feet  down  among 


THE   LARGEST   FISH    EVER  TAKEN  WITH   A  ROD   BY  A 
WOMAN 


The  Black  Sea-bass  107 

the  stems  of  the  kelp,  the  water  being  so  clear 
that  every  object  could  be  seen.  As  I  looked, 
into  the  range  of  vision,  through  a  curtain  of 
kelp  which  it  seemed  to  push  aside  like  a  portiere, 
came  a  mighty  fish  which  I  recognized  as  a  black 
sea-bass.  It  was  at  least  six  feet  in  length, 
weighing  possibly  three  hundred  pounds,  and 
simulated  the  color  of  the  weed.  At  its  ap- 
proach the  small  fry  and  numerous  sheepshead 
disappeared  before  the  king.  Its  movements 
were  slow  and  dignified,  as  became  its  size,  and 
guided  either  by  scent  or  sight  it  swam  toward 
my  small  sardine  bait  prepared  for  yellowtail, 
gazed  at  it  warily  and  passed  on  to  return  and 
view  it  from  another  position.  A  score  of  times 
this  gigantic  fish,  which  I  had  previously  imag- 
ined a  glutton  that  rushed  at  food  and  bolted  it, 
played  about  the  bait  with  tactful  movements, 
the  personification  of  caution  and  deliberation ; 
then,  as  though  satisfied,  it  poised  directly  over 
it,  depressed  its  muzzle  until  it  stood  upon  its 
head,  tail  upward,  then  took  the  bait  and  slowly 
moved  off.  When  it  felt  the  wire  leader  a  whirl- 
wind seemed  to  have  struck  the  kelp  forest, 
leaves  and  stems  being  tossed  hither  and  yon 
in  a  vortex  as  the  tail  of  the  mighty  bass  swept 


108  Big  Game  Fishes 

through  it  beyond  my  range  of  vision.  I  had 
but  two  hundred  feet  of  fifteen-thread  line  on  my 
yellowtail  reel,  hence  the  end  soon  came.  The 
reel  uttered  a  vigorous  protest,  and  the  line 
parted.  But  I  was  well  paid ;  I  had  seen  a  big 
sea-bass  standing  upon  its  head  in  the  heart 
of  this  maze  of  kelp. 

This  fish  makes  its  home  in  these  dense  lama- 
rian  forests  and  is  found  in  abundance  from  the 
Coronados  and  Cortez  Bank,  and  doubtless  farther 
south,  to  the  latitude  of  San  Francisco,  lurking 
in  the  kelp  beds  around  rocky  points  near  shore 
from  April  to  December.  In  July  and  August  it 
spawns,  and  fishes  caught  at  this  time  are  filled 
with  enormous  masses  of  eggs  which  are  deposited 
beneath  the  kelp  in  shoal  water  from  twenty  to 
thirty  feet  deep,  near  shore.  At  this  time  the 
fishes  are  very  ravenous  and  bite  eagerly,  but 
on  or  about  November  15  they  become  scarcer, 
and  are  rarely  caught,  though  they  do  not  entirely 
disappear.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  they 
run  in  schools  at  this  season,  and  go  offshore 
to  deeper  water.  They  attain  an  enormous  size. 
I  have  caught  many  specimens  from  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  up  to  three  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  pounds,  and  specimens  weighing  four  and 


The  Black  Sea-bass  109 

five  hundred  pounds  have  been  taken,  while  the 
Santa  Barbara  Islands  claim  a  bass  which  tipped 
the  scales  at  eight  hundred  pounds,  and  fishes  of 
this  size  have  been  taken  in  the  Gulf  of  California. 
At  Santa  Catalina  and  San  Diego  the  average 
bass  weighs  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and 
small  individuals  are  rarely  seen.  The  smallest 
fish  observed  by  me  at  the  former  place  weighed 
thirty  pounds,  and  fishes  under  one  hundred 
pounds'  weight  are  very  rare.  Where  the  very 
young  go  is  a  mystery,  as  they  are  never  caught; 
possibly  they  frequent  the  deeper  waters  offshore. 
In  1870  there  was  a  black  sea-bass  fishery  at 
Pebbly  Beach,  Santa  Catalina,  and  the  Portu- 
guese from  San  Pedro  caught  hundreds  of  these 
bass  by  employing  the  heaviest  of  hand-lines, 
small  ropes,  with  which  several  men  could  soon 
master  the  largest  fish.  The  fish  were  killed  on 
the  spot  and  their  heads  thrown  into  the  water, 
resulting,  according  to  local  tradition,  in  so 
alarming  the  fish  that  they  deserted  the  locality 
and  have  never  been  caught  there  since.  The 
meat  was  dried  and  sold  as  boneless  cod,  but  was 
found  to  be  too  tough  and  dry  for  this  purpose. 

Fishing  for  the  giant  as  a  sport  has  long  been 
in  vogue  at  the  islands  off  Los  Angeles  County. 


no  Big  Game  Fisbes 

Previous  to  1895  the  fishes  were  caught  entirely 
with  the  hand-line,  but  about  that  time  General 
Charles  Viele  succeeded  in  taking  a  large  fish 
with  rod  and  reel,  and  since  then  this  has  been  the 
method  employed — anglers  landing  fishes  ranging 
from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  pounds  with 
ordinary  tuna  tackle.  While  the  rod  is  to  be 
commended  as  the  most  sportsmanlike,  the  fish 
gives  the  angler  more  exercise  with  the  hand-line, 
and  will  easily  jerk  the  absent-minded  fisherman 
overboard.  I  took  my  first  bass  in  the  latter 
manner  in  1886.  My  boatman  provided  a  line 
which  in  the  East  would  have  been  sacred  to 
sharks ;  the  hook  was  a  small  edition  of  a  shark 
hook,  while  a  chain  served  as  a  leader.  The  bait 
was  a  five-pound  whitefish,  hooked  through  the 
back  so  that  it  would  swim.  A  half-pound  sinker 
was  attached,  and  this  crude  contrivance,  an  insult 
to  the  bass  tribe  in  general,  was  lowered  within 
six  feet  of  the  bottom  and  the  waiting  begun. 
"  How  poor  are  they  that  have  no  patience " 
is  well  exemplified  in  this  pastime,  as  without 
patience  no  one  ever  landed  a  black  sea-bass. 
Catches  of  four  or  five  a  day  have  been  made,  but 
the  average  is  one,  and  often  the  wait  is  long  and 
wearisome  to  the  angler  who  has  no  other  re- 


The  Black  Sea-bass 


in 


sources.  On  the  day  in  question  the  strike  came 
in  half  an  hour.  Some  idea  of  the  strength  of 
this  fish  can  be  conveyed  by  giving  the  details  of 
a  catch  made  by  me  in  1894.  My  companion  had 
never  seen  the  fish  caught,  and  insisted  upon  tak- 
ing the  place  of  boatman  for  the  exercise.  In  a 
weak  moment  I  consented.  The  skiff,  as  I  ascer- 
tained later,  weighed  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
pounds,  our  combined  weight  was  three  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  After  an  hour's  fishing  we  had 
by  great  good  luck  caught  enough  sheepshead,  so 
we  threw  over  the  large  hand-line  for  black  seaj 
bass.  The  anchor  was  hauled  up  and  the  boat 
made  fast  to  the  kelp  ready  to  cast  off  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice,  and  within  fifty  feet  of  the  beach 
we  began  to  fish.  It  was  not  long  before  the  line 
began  to  move  over  the  rail,  and  I  took  it  in  hand 
while  my  companion  cast  off  the  big  kelp  leaf 
which  held  us.  Out  ran  the  line,  slowly  and  de- 
liberately, the  "  bite  "  of  this  colossus  being  a  sur- 
prise to  the  novice.  I  allowed  twenty  feet  to  pass 
over,  then  assuming  that  the  bait  was  well  in  the 
mouth  of  the  fish,  theoretically  gave  it  the  butt. 
The  answer  came  on  the  instant  in  so  terrific 
a  jerk  that  I  was  thrown  upon  my  knees  and 
my  arms  hauled  almost  elbow  deep  in  the  water 


ii2  Big  Game  Fishes 

before  I  could  release  the  line,  while  the  impact 
had  jerked  the  light  boat  around  as  though  on  a 
pivot,  and  thrown  my  companion  down.  In  the 
meantime  the  line  was  rushing  over  the  side.  As 
I  seized  it,  the  fish  surged  downward,  taking  the 
stern  of  the  light  craft  almost  under  water,  drag- 
ging it  rapidly  and  irresistibly  along.  We  were 
carried  two  hundred  yards  out  to  sea  before  I 
succeeded  in  stopping  the  fish,  my  companion 
having  shipped  the  oars,  pulling  violently  against 
it.  By  rapid  manipulation  I  brought  the  fish  to 
within  twenty  feet  of  the  surface  and  caught  a 
glimpse  of  its  huge  form,  the  dark  brown  back 
and  the  flash  of  silvery  belly;  then  seeing  the 
boat  it  made  a  rush  that  nearly  carried  the  skiff 
with  it  and  took  all  the  line  I  had  gained,  in  the 
direction  of  the  inner  kelp  bed  just  beyond  where 
the  sea  was  breaking  heavily  on  a  point  of  rocks. 
Once  in  the  kelp  I  knew  that  the  bass  would 
escape,  so  redoubled  my  efforts  while  my  com- 
panion lay  flat,  balancing  the  boat,  as  the  fish 
seemed  determined  to  carry  it  under  water,  so 
fierce  were  its  rushes.  The  bass  would  plunge 
downward,  then  deliver  a  series  of  blows,  arm- 
wrenching  in  their  power  and  probably  given  by 
striking  the  head  from  side  to  side  by  convulsive 


The  Black  Sea-bass  113 

lateral  movements  of  the  entire  body ;  then,  when 
hauled  up  with  the  greatest  possible  effort,  it  would 
circle  the  boat,  endangering  the  craft,  stop  and 
lash  the  water  and  impress  us  with  its  immensity. 
For  nearly  an  hour  this  fish  fought  me,  as  the 
boat  was  so  small  that  but  one  could  play  it;  and 
had  my  companion  not  remained  in  the  bow  the 
bass  would  have  sunk  the  frail  craft.  It  was 
finally  brought  to  the  surface,  and  holding  it  with 
one  hand  I  gaffed  it  with  the  other,  when  with  a 
tremendous  rush  it  was  away,  wrenching  the  gaff 
from  my  hand.  Four  or  five  times  it  repeated 
this,  and  when  I  finally  held  it  by  the  gaff  I  could 
not  kill  it,  so  fierce  were  its  lunges.  A  heavy 
swell  was  now  coming  in,  and  there  was  a  rough 
point  to  turn  at  Church  Rock.  It  was  manifestly 
impossible  to  take  the  fish  into  the  boat,  so  I  held 
it  while  my  companion  rowed,  its  lunges  almost 
swamping  us  in  the  seaway  as  we  rounded  the 
point.  Three  miles  from  here  we  met  some 
fishermen,  and  by  the  aid  of  five  men  the  big 
bass  was  hauled  in,  almost  filling  the  boat  and 
bringing  it  down  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the 
water's  edge.  But  the  two  boats  convoyed  us 
into  port,  where  the  big  fish,  which  weighed 
between  three  hundred  and  four  hundred  pounds, 


ii4  Big  Game  Fishes 

was  hauled  upon  the  beach.  It  was  not  believed 
possible  to  land  so  heavy  a  fish  with  a  rod,  but  I 
was  fortunate  in  seeing  the  first  one  taken  in  this 
way.  General  Charles  Viele  and  myself  were  fish- 
ing with  rods  from  an  anchored  launch  two  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  shore  at  the  "fence,"  Santa 
Catalina.  The  General  had  a  strike  almost  im- 
mediately, and  springing  into  a  small  boat  with 
the  engineer  as  an  oarsman  was  rapidly  towed 
away.  In  about  two  hours  he  had  mastered  the 
fish  and  had  it  on  the  deck.  When  he  was  playing 
it  I  had  hooked  four  or  five,  losing  my  lines  and 
breaking  two  tips,  it  being  impossible  to  stop  the 
rushes  with  light  tackle  (twenty-one-thread  line) 
from  an  anchored  boat.  Finally,  my  rod  being 
entirely  depleted,  I  tried  a  hand-line,  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  landed  two  bass.  One  weighed  one 
hundred  and  fifty-eight  pounds  and  another  two 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  pounds,  the  latter  with 
the  aid  of  General  Viele.  We  returned  to  port 
with  three  bass,  one  weighing  one  hundred  and 
fifty-eight,  a  second  two  hundred  and  seventy- 
eight,  and  the  third  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight 
pounds,  before  lunch.  This  was  the  initial  rod 
catch  of  this  fish,  and  since  then  scores  have 
been  landed  with  rod  and  reel,  the  record  catch 


Tbe  Black  Sea-bass  115 

being  held  by  Harrison  T.  Kendall  of  Pasadena, 
with  a  fish  weighing  four  hundred  and  nineteen 
pounds.  The  second  largest  was  taken  by  Mr. 
F.  S.  Schenck  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and 
weighed  three  hundred  and  eighty-four  pounds. 

The  tackle  in  vogue  for  this  athletic  and 
vigorous  sport  is  similar  to  that  required  for 
tuna  fishing.  The  same  sized  hook  is  used,  a 
twenty-one-thread  line,  and  a  long  eight  or  nine 
foot  wire  leader  to  prevent  chafing,  while  above 
the  leader  or  snell  the  line  should  be  either  doub- 
led or  provided  with  a  fifteen-foot  upper  leader 
of  strong  cod  line.  This  is  to  give  the  boatman 
purchase  when  the  fish  has  been  brought  to  gaff, 
as  it  almost  invariably  lashes  the  water,  hurling 
spray  over  boat  and  fishermen. 

As  to  the  standing  of  the  black  sea-bass  as  a 
game  fish  there  is  much  difference  of  opinion. 
Some  claim  that  it  is  superior  to  the  tuna,  but 
in  this  I  do  not  agree.  I  have  taken  possibly 
twenty  bass  of  various  sizes  in  hard  hand-to- 
hand  contests,  and  am  fully  impressed  with  their 
power ;  but  in  agility  they  do  not  compare  with 
the  tuna  or  tarpon.  I  should  class  the  black  sea- 
bass  with  the  Florida  jewfish  and  large  black 
grouper,  though  it  is  much  more  active  than  the 


ii6  Big  Game  Fishes 

former  and  more  attractive,  having  the  general 
shape  of  a  bass  in  the  water.  When  hung  up 
and  distorted,  no  idea  can  be  had  of  its  shape. 
As  to  its  qualities  as  a  food-fish  there  is  the 
same  difference  of  opinion;  the  large  fishes  are 
dry  and  coarse,  but  specimens  of  one  hundred  or 
so  pounds,  if  properly  baked,  are  very  good.  If 
a  fish  is  common,  it  is  often  despised,  and  if 
hideous  in  appearance,  repudiated  ;  this  is  exem- 
plified in  eels  and  sculpins,  both  fit  for  the  gods 
if  skilfully  prepared;  but  the  latter  is  scorned 
in  the  Atlantic,  while  in  California  it  is  esteemed 
very  highly. 

The  method  of  taking  the  black  sea-bass  in 
California  waters  is  to  fish  from  an  eighteen-foot 
launch  or  a  boat  light  enough  for  the  fish  to  tow 
readily,  but  still  large  enough  to  hold  from  one 
to  three  bass  of  two  hundred  pounds  each,  if  the 
angler  is  so  fortunate.  The  launch  is  anchored 
either  at  the  inner  or  outer  kelp  beds,  the  anchor 
line  buoyed  so  that  it  can  be  tossed  over  the 
moment  the  strike  comes,  as  the  fish  invariably 
tows  the  boat  until  killed.  On  these  grounds 
albacore  bait  is  the  best,  three  or  four  pounds 
being  used,  while  live  whitefish  or  half  a  barra- 
cuda are  not  to  be  slighted.  This  great  bass 


RECORD    BLACK   SEA-BASS,    419    POUNDS 
Taken  at  Santa  Catalina,  Cal.,  by  Harrison  T.  Kendall,  Pasadena,  Cal. 


The  Black  Sea-bass  117 

has  been  caught  when  trolling  for  yellowtail  with 
sardine  bait,  but  this  is  exceptional,  though  I 
believe  by  trolling  with  a  pipe  sinker  that  would 
keep  the  large  whitefish  bait  twenty  feet  under 
water,  the  bass  could  be  taken  in  this  most  attrac- 
tive way.  There  seems  to  be  no  choice  in  the 
position  of  the  bait.  If  half  of  a  barracuda  is 
employed,  or  four  or  five  pounds  of  albacore,  a 
veritable  shark  bait,  it  is  taken  either  on  the 
bottom  or  a  few  feet  above  it.  That  the  great 
fish  has  many  of  the  attributes  of  the  typical  bass 
is  shown  by  its  habit  of  chasing  whitefish  to  the 
surface ;  many  times  when  reeling  in  a  gamy 
whitefish,  I  have  seen  the  gigantic  form  of  a 
black  sea-bass  dash  upward,  snapping  at  it,  caus- 
ing the  water  to  boil  like  a  miniature  maelstrom. 
Often  the  bass  seizes  the  fish  and  makes  away  with 
it,  line  and  all.  The  bass  does  not  make  the  long 
rushes  of  the  tuna.  Four  hundred  feet  of  line  is 
sufficient.  A  novice  should  never  attempt  the 
sport  unaided.  It  is  a  sport  for  two  men  in  a 
staunch  boat,  as  large  fish  may  tow  a  frail  boat  to 
sea  or  capsize  it;  yet  expert  anglers  who  delight 
in  strenuous  conflicts  with  these  huge  fishes  have 
played  them,  brought  them  to  gaff,  and  hauled 
them  into  the  boat  single-handed  and  alone. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE    HOGFISH 

"  And  there  were  crystal  pools,  peopled  with  fish, 
Argent  and  gold ;  and  some  of  Tyrian  skin, 

Some  crimson-barred." 

—  THOMAS  HOOD. 

THE  angler  is  a  true  lover  of  nature ;  were  he 
not  the  gentle  art  would  flag  and  die,  as  in  his 
experience  there  come  dark  days  when  the  game 
for  some  strange  and  unreasonable  cause  will  not 
rise,  or  sink  to  the  lure.  By  such  periods  you 
shall  know  the  true  rodsman,  as  when  the  fish 
refuse  to  bite  he  finds  solace  in  a  thousand  and 
one  objects :  the  soft  sighing  of  the  leaves  along 
some  favorite  stream ;  the  gurgle  of  the  water  as 
it  flows  from  pool  to  pool ;  the  call  of  the  locust, 
which  "  stabs  the  still  air  with  its  shrill  alarm  " 
are  all  understood.  If  a  sea-angler  he  can 
"  call  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep  " ;  the  deep  blue 
of  the  ocean,  its  many  moods,  the  shadow  of 
clouds  upon  its  surface,  the  delicate  glasslike 
shapes  that  drift  across  his  line ;  the  sounds  of 

118 


The  Hogfisb  119 

the  sea  which  come  from  far  away,  deep  in  the 
heart  of  some  roller  from  the  vast  unknown,  at 
first  low  murmurs,  then  the  clash  of  cymbals  as 
the  silvery  crest  topples  over,  bursting  into 
thundering  crash  all  down  the  line,  spreading 
out  upon  the  sands,  where  the  pebbles  are  casta- 
nettes,  or  leaping  high  upon  the  face  of  some 
rocky  cliff  with  ponderous  roar,  —  all  these  the 
true  angler  loves  and  understands,  so  never 
draws  a  blank  in  a  day's  fishing.  To  the  world 
he  goes  a-fishing,  yet  the  actual  catch  is  far  from 
being  the  sum  total  of  his  pleasure;  he  never 
fails  to  land  his  game,  if  not  fish,  some  new 
delight  in  the  appreciation  of  life  and  nature. 
The  haunts  of  the  hogfish  are  among  the  most 
aesthetic  of  all  fishes,  and  if  the  game  is  not 
found  when  sought  the  angler  may  pass  the  day 
taking  the  many-hued  courtiers  which  make  up 
the  train  and  retinue  of  this  radiant  creature.  My 
fishing-ground  was  a  long  submerged  coral  reef, 
which  began  with  Bush  Key  of  the  Tortugas  reef 
and  extended  southward,  a  barrier  to  the  sandy 
lagoon  to  the  west.  The  reef  was  made  up  of 
dead  coral  heads,  which  were  bare  at  extreme  low 
tide,  but  at  the  flood  the  sea  rolled  over  it,  pound- 
ing so  furiously  in  storms  that  the  roar  could  be 


120  Big  Game  Fisbes 

heard  far  away.  Out  from  the  reef  the  water 
deepened  so  quickly  that  fifty  feet  to  the  east  it 
was  twenty  feet  deep  and  the  bottom  rapidly  fell 
away,  merging  into  the  deep  water  of  the  Gulf 
Stream.  In  the  shallows  were  many  large  heads 
of  coral,  some  like  huge  vases,  hollowed  out,  the 
homes  of  angel  and  other  highly  colored  fishes, 
while  the  floor  of  the  reef  was  covered  with  a 
forest  of  waving  plumes  of  gorgonias,  massive 
seatlike  sponges  and  other  forms.  There  were 
rich  yellow  reticulated  sea-fans,  three  feet  in 
height,  with  beautiful  yellow  shells  clinging  to 
them.  Others  were  of  the  richest  lavender  hue, 
while  here  and  there  were  plume-shaped  forms 
in  brown  plush  tints,  long  branchlike  shapes  in 
black,  lavender,  and  yellow.  Beneath  these  was  a 
carpet  of  low-growing  algae,  and  patches  of  fan 
coral  in  large  palmate  branches  of  a  rich  olive 
hue,  with  round  heads  and  clumps  of  branch 
coral  everywhere,  forming  a  garden  in  the  sea  of 
marvellous  beauty. 

Not  far  away  a  fine  large  ship  had  gone  down, 
and  part  of  the  hull  lay  in  this  garden  spot  in 
deep  water,  while  the  rest,  tossed  by  the  hurricane 
like  chaff  over  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  reef,  lay  in 
the  smooth  shallow  water  of  the  lagoon.  Peering 


The  Hogfisb  121 

down  into  what  had  been   the   hold,  now  filled 
with  growing  coral :  — 

"  Methought  I  saw  a  thousand  fearful  wracks ; 
A  thousand  men  that  fishes  gnawed  upon ; 
Wedges  of  gold,  great  anchors,  heaps  of  pearl, 
Inestimable  stones,  unvalued  jewels. 
All  scattered  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 

This  ocean  garden,  which  flashed  every  tint  or 
color,  was  the  home  of  the  hogfish,  one  of  the  gami- 
est of  the  tropical  fishes  and,  with  its  long  plume- 
like  fins  and  its  coat  of  red,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful.  Ordinarily,  fishing  was  had  by  pushing 
the  dinghy  through  a  narrow  channel,  known  as 
the  "  five  foot,"  the  only  retreat  through  the 
great  reef  in  case  of  sudden  squall,  and  anchoring 
in  three  or  four  fathoms ;  but  I  often  preferred  to 
haul  my  boat  upon  the  reef  on  the  lagoon  side 
at  the  ebb  tide,  wade  out  waist-deep,  and  climb 
upon  a  coral  head,  or  a  heap  of  dead  heads,  which 
had  been  piled  up  for  the  purpose,  and  fish  stand- 
ing in  the  water  without  the  boat  to  alarm  the 
game.  On  the  average  summer  day  the  sea  was 
glasslike,  the  heat  intense,  the  water  so  clear  that 
every  object  upon  the  bottom  could  be  seen. 
Every  head,  fan,  and  bunch  of  coral  was  the 
home  of  some  gaudy  or  beautiful  fish.  The  radi- 


122  Big  Game  Fisbes 

ant  yellowtail,  Ocyurus  chrysurus,  was  most  com- 
mon and  one  of  the  gamiest.  The  angel-fishes, 
especially  the  black  and  white  variety,  would 
astonish  one  by  their  strength,  while  the  great 
parrot-fishes  in  gorgeous  tints  should  be  included 
in  any  account  of  game  fishes,  affording  good 
sport  with  light  tackle. 

Among  these  gorgeous  creatures,  which  seemed 
colored  to  accord  with  their  environment,  the 
hogfish  reigned  supreme,  its  striking  shape  and 
brilliant  color  rendering  it  a  conspicuous  object 
as  it  poised  beneath  a  lavender  sea-fan,  as  though 
for  effect,  or  slowly  swam  about  followed  by  a 
train  of  curious  and  brilliant  yellowtails.  The 
hogfish  ranges  in  weight  from  six  to  twenty-five 
and  even  thirty  pounds,  though  the  large  speci- 
mens are  rarely  caught,  individuals  weighing 
twenty  pounds  being  considered  large.  But  this 
ocean  park  in  summer  was  the  home  for  fishes  of 
extreme  size,  and  the  sport  they  afforded  compen- 
sated for  the  pitiless  heat  that  ashore  made 
butter  a  liquid  and  life  correspondingly  miserable. 

The  best  fishing  was  in  the  morning,  and  by 
poling  over  the  lagoon  in  shallow  water,  just  at 
sunrise,  quantities  of  crayfish  could  be  caught  feed- 
ing, and  grained,  —  the  bait  of  baits  for  hogfish, 


The  Hogfisb  123 

the  tail  making  three  large  baits,  which  were 
fastened  upon  the  hook  with  soft  copper  wire  or 
thread  —  a  measure  to  outwit  the  small  fry.  I 
used  a  rod  about  eight  and  a  half  feet  long,  weigh- 
ing sixteen  ounces,  a  reel  which  held  three  or  four 
hundred  feet  of  a  number  twelve  line.  The 
leader  was  three  feet  of  very  light  but  strong  cop- 
per wire,  with  no  sinker;  the  tackle  was  ex- 
actly what  I  used  for  the  six  and  eight  pound 
yellowtails,  the  only  difference  being  that  for  the 
latter  often  a  trout  rod  was  employed.  A  larger 
hook  was  necessary  for  the  hogfish,  its  enormous 
mouth  rendering  a  very  small  hook  inoperative. 
With  a  big  net  to  hold  the  bait  and  to  bag  the 
game,  and  sometimes  a  pair  of  grains,  the  coral 
head  was  mounted  and  a  cast  thirty  or  forty  feet 
made  out  into  deeper  water,  where  the  bait  could 
be  seen  white  against  the  blue,  sinking  slowly 
into  the  forest  of  plumes  and  fans.  Up  rose  a 
cloud  of  fishes  to  meet  it.  Now  "  breathe  soft  ye 
winds !  ye  waves,  in  silence  sleep,"  as  attracted 
by  the  swarm  of  small  fry  that  tosses  the  bait 
hither  and  yon,  filling  the  water  with  flecks  of 
white,  comes  a  vision  in  red,  a  harlequin,  or 
Mephistopheles  of  the  sea,  with  flaunting  plumes. 
It  shoots  ahead  with  a  peculiar  arrowlike  flight, 


124  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  yellowtails  parting  on  either  side,  and  presto  ! 
the  large  bait  disappears  in  the  maw  of  the 
hungry  hogfish.  As  it  turns  and  attempts  to 
descend  the  slender  copper  leader  sags  into  the 
corner  of  its  mouth,  the  point  of  the  hook  pierces 
its  soft  jaw,  a  streak  of  red  and  fading  plumes  and 
the  fight  is  on. 

The  great  height  of  the  hogfish  and  the  power- 
ful tail  enable  the  fish  to  make  a  fight  which, 
when  unseen,  as  is  almost  invariably  the  case, 
impresses  the  angler  with  the  belief  that  a  much 
larger  fish  is  hooked.  And  so  with  my  fish.  At  long 
range  I  estimated  it  at  twenty  pounds,  as  it  nearly 
jerked  me  from  my  uncertain  foothold,  but  no 
forty-pound  kingfish  or  barracuda  ever  made  a 
braver  rush.  Out  it  went,  the  silver  reel  singing 
a  merry  refrain,  the  fine  threadlike  line  cutting 
the  water  with  a  hissing  sound.  The  fish  headed 
for  the  deep  azure  heart  of  the  channel  in  some 
"  dark  unfathomed  cave  "  to  find  shelter  from  this 
new  and  unseen  enemy.  Slowly  pressure  was  placed 
upon  the  reel,  down  went  the  pliable  rod,  down  to 
the  danger  point,  the  tip  fairly  at  the  surface, 
the  reel  giving  way  —  ze  —  ze  —  ze !  —  to  protect 
the  line,  then  crying  out  z-e-e-e-e-e-e !  as  the  fish 
made  a  strenuous  rush.  It  was  so  far  away  now, 


The  Hogfisb  125 

that  the  line  did  not  touch  the  water  within  thirty 
feet,  and  slowly  rose  with  a  peculiar  rhythmical 
thrill.  Forward  went  the  butt  and  it  was  slowly 
lifted ;  down  dropped  the  tip,  the  reel  singing  of 
victory,  the  multiplier  eating  the  line  with  its 
marvellous  appetite.  The  fish  swam  in  a  semi- 
circle, bearing  off,  but  losing  ground,  coming  in 
steadily.  It  soon  recognized  the  situation  and, 
with  a  lunge  forward,  turned  and  plunged  directly 
outward  with  an  impetus  that  was  irresistible,  tak- 
ing back  the  hard-earned  line.  The  water  was 
comparatively  shallow  and  there  was  no  deep 
sulking,  and  as  the  fish  played  midway  between 
bottom  and  surface  the  sport  was  intensified  by 
the  insistent  surging,  the  great  curves,  and  the 
repeated  plunging  ever  outward.  Again  and 
again  the  fish  was  turned  by  the  pliant  rod ;  now 
to  the  right,  leading  it  into  shoal  water,  again  to 
the  left.  And  now,  as  its  strength  was  waning,  the 
reel  gained,  and  soon  a  great  red  spot  against  the 
blue  grew  larger,  and  still  making  a  gallant  fight, 
bearing  hard  against  the  marvellous  thread  which 
held  it,  the  great  fish  came  to  gaff  and  was  igno- 
miniously  hauled  ashore,  its  queer  little  eyes 
gleaming,  its  tail  beating  the  water  in  furious  and 
impotent  protest.  As  it  was  hauled  into  a  little 


i26  Big  Game  Fishes 

bay  among  the  algae-covered  rocks,  the  home  of 
the  micramoc,  it  was  a  striking  object;  about 
three  and  a  half  feet  in  length,  the  body  very  deep, 
colored  a  vivid  brick-red,  the  base  of  some  of 
the  fins  black,  a  jet-black  crescent  at  the  base  of 
the  tail,  a  dark  inky  blotch  on  the  forehead  pecul- 
iar to  the  male,  while  the  lower  jaw  was  yellow. 
Other  minor  tints  and  differences  between  the 
sexes  may  be  found,  but  the  prevailing  color  is 
red,  and  the  catch  might  better  be  called  the 
flame  fish,  as  it  blazes  its  way  with  lurid  scintilla- 
tions, through  the  blue  waters.  It  is  known  as 
hogfish  because  its  mouth  is  supposed  to  bear  a 
resemblance  to  that  of  a  hog ;  at  least,  it  is  very 
large,  and  armed  with  prominent  teeth  which 
project  outward.  The  first  three  dorsal  spines 
are  provided  with  long  red  streamers,  while  the 
first  rays  of  the  soft  dorsal  and  anal  are  very 
long,  which,  with  the  outer  spines  of  the  tail 
likewise  extended,  give  the  hogfish  a  gay  and 
festive  air.  Preserved  specimens,  individuals 
found  in  the  markets,  or  even  in  the  wells  of 
smacks,  convey  no  idea  of  the  beauty  and  bril- 
iancy  of  the  hogfish  fresh  from  the  coral  groves, 
where  aeration  is  perfect  and  the  bottom  highly 
colored. 


The  Hog  fish  127 

The  deep-water  forms,  from  forty  or  fifty  feet, 
are  the  most  beautiful ;  those  which  have  been  in 
shallows  for  some  time  are  less  pronounced.  So 
marked  is  this  variation  of  color  and  difference 
between  the  sexes,  and  old  and  young,  that  the 
unfortunate  hogfish  has,  like  others,  been  named 
so  many  times  that  with  the  channel-bass  it  might 
take  the  prize  as  a  terrible  example  of  the  insati- 
ate pursuit  of  names  and  new  species.  Leopold 
von  Buch,  the  well-known  geologist  of  Berlin, 
and  friend  of  the  lamented  Agassiz,  once  said, 
"  When  I  am  at  Neuchatel  and  I  knock  at  the 
door  of  Agassiz  I  am  always  afraid."  "  Why  ?  " 
asked  a  listener.  "  I  dread,"  said  Von  Buch,  "  lest 
he  take  me  for  a  new  species."  It  is  only  just  to 
say  that  Agassiz  never  experimented  with  the 
nomenclature  of  the  hogfish.  Among  other 
names  it  is  el  capitan,  and  in  Jamaica  and  Porto 
Rico,  perro  perro ;  but  among  the  Conchs  on  the 
reef,  and  the  Bahamians,  I  never  heard  these 
names:  it  was  always  the  hogfish.  One  of  the 
finest  table  fishes  in  America,  game  in  every 
sense,  yet  fate  ordains  it  to  be  "  yanked  "  in,  by 
the  smack  fishermen,  with  grouper  lines. 

The  hogfish,  of  which  there  is  but  one  species, 
belongs  to  the  family  Labridce  (the  Wrasse- 


128  Big  Game  Fishes 

fishes),  to  the  genus  Lachnolaimus  (Cuvier  and 
Valenciennes),  and  is  known  to  science  as  Lach- 
nolaimus maximus  (Walbaum).  It  is  essentially 
a  West  Indian  fish,  being  more  or  less  common 
at  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Jamaica,  and  the  various 
islands  of  the  Bahamas,  and  north  to  the  Bermu- 
das, where,  at  the  mouth  of  Great  Sound,  on 
Hogfish  Shoal,  stands  a  gigantic  facsimile  of  a 
hogfish  in  metal,  announcing  that  there,  at  least, 
the  hogfish  is  sufficiently  esteemed  to  be  the 
only  game  fish  in  the  world  to  have  a  monument. 
Key  West  and  the  immediate  keys,  west  to 
Loggerhead,  is  a  favorite  ground  of  the  fish, 
which  for  years  has  been  a  valuable  catch,  and 
always  found  in  the  wells  of  the  American 
fishing-boats,  which  generally  hailed  in  the  old 
days  from  Mystic,  which  provided  Cuba  with  a 
large  part  of  its  fish  supply.  Exactly  why  the 
Cubans  should  prefer  fish  from  America  when 
the  same  fish  could  be  taken  from  their  own 
waters,  was  difficult  to  understand  by  laymen ; 
but  formerly  the  hogfish  was  supposed  to  be 
poisonous  and  a  law  prevented  its  sale.  Some 
fishermen  informed  me  that  not  many  years  ago 
the  Cubans  believed  that  there  was  so  much 
copper  in  their  waters  that  nearly  all  the  fish 


The  Hogfisb  129 

were  poisonous,  hence  the  demand  for  American 
fish  caught  one  hundred  miles  distant. 

The  hogfish  is  found  in  water  from  four  to  six 
or  eight  fathoms.  Where  the  reef  dips  rapidly 
into  deep  water,  and  is  covered  with  coral  and 
gorgonias,  in  a  word,  is  a  good  browsing-ground, 
there  the  hogfish  will  be  found  by  the  discerning 
angler.  While  a  swift  swimmer  when  occasion 
demands,  it  is  normally  a  slow-moving  fish.  I 
have  often  watched  it  through  a  water-glass,  or 
from  some  point  of  vantage  as  it  poised  by  some 
plume,  or  sea-fan,  or  slowly  swam  about,  occasion- 
ally tipping  down  with  a  display  of  caracoling  to 
take  some  reckless  crab.  It  has  been  described 
as  capturing  fish,  but  I  never  found  evidences  of 
this  diet  in  scores  examined;  the  food  of  its  choice 
is  crabs,  crayfish,  shells  of  various  kinds,  as  the 
fan-shell,  which  it  takes  from  the  gorgonias,  sea- 
urchins  or  echini,  starfishes  and  hermit-crabs.  In 
shallow  water  described,  mullet  bait  would  not 
attract  the  hogfish,  but  conch  or  crayfish,  crab 
or  squilla,  was  especially  to  its  taste.  The  deeper- 
water  fishes  appear  to  be  more  democratic.  The 
hogfish  is  always  to  be  found  in  the  localities  of 
its  choice.  In  winter  it  undoubtedly  moves  into 
water  slightly  deeper,  at  least  in  summer  more 


130  Big  Game  Fishes 

were  seen  on  the  shallow  reef  mentioned;  and 
as  several  were  taken  in  seines  at  night  in  the 
lagoon,  in  water  from  three  to  five  feet  in  depth, 
the  fish  doubtless  came  in  at  this  time  to  feed 
upon  crayfish,  which  were  then  in  the  open,  and 
the  large  white  short-spined  echini  found  there. 
Little  is  known  of  its  breeding  habits.  Young 
two  inches  long  were  taken  in  August  in  the 
lagoons,  and  it  was  supposed  to  deposit  its  spawn 
in  water  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep  just  outside 
the  breakers ;  but  this  assumption  was  obviously 
not  justified  by  actual  observation.  Females 
with  spawn  were  taken  in  May  and  June. 

The  hogfish  is  rarely  caught  by  anglers  who 
fish  with  the  rod,  as  almost  the  entire  fishing  is 
conducted  or  carried  on  in  deep  water,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  go  out  in  the  smacks  and  fish  for 
them,  a  la  cod,  with  a  hand-line  —  not  a  satisfac- 
tory proceeding  to  the  man  who  has  been  trained 
to  look  upon  the.  hand-line  as  a  device  of  the 
pot-angler,  which  is  hardly  true.  The  strongest 
argument  against  hand,  or  cast-line  methods  is 
that  by  them  the  fisherman  can  take  too  many 
fish. 

Found  with  the  hogfish  in  the  new  American 
possession  of  Porto  Rico  is  a  fish  known  as 


The  Hogfisb  131 

robalo  (Centropomus),  which  attains  a  length  of 
three  feet  and  bears  some  resemblance  to  a  wall- 
eyed pike  with  the  lower  jaw  of  a  barracuda.  It 
is  a  gamy  hard-fighting  fish,  and  local  sportsmen 
go  to  the  Rio  Plata  for  the  purpose  of  taking  it. 
On  the  Texan  coast,  on  sandy  bottom,  is  found 
another  species,  C.  undesimalis  (Bloch),  which  at- 
tains a  length  of  four  feet  and  a  weight  of  twenty 
or  thirty  pounds.  I  fished  in  vain  for  it  in  the 
vicinity  of  Aransas  Pass.  Singularly  enough,  this 
fish  is  rarely  found  on  the  outer  Florida  reef, — 
at  least,  I  saw  but  one  individual;  but  there 
were  numbers  of  fishes  there  which  undoubtedly 
were  present  all  the  time,  for  some  reason  seen 
but  once  or  twice,  even  when  fishing  or  drifting 
over  the  reef  was  a  part  of  almost  every  day's 
experience.  It  is  not  safe  to  exclude  a  fish  from 
a  locality  because  it  is  not  caught.  Many  of  the 
game  fishes  described  in  contemporary  works  are 
underestimated  as  to  size,  for  the  reason  that  de- 
scriptions are  often  made  from  market  specimens, 
or  from  specimens  in  alcohol,  in  either  instance 
large  specimens  not  being  desirable.  There  are 
numbers  of  fishes  on  the  outer  reef  from  four 
to  ten  pounds  in  weight  which,  if  taken  with  light 
rods,  afford  fine  sport.  In  this  class  I  would  in- 


132  Big  Game  Fishes 

elude  some  of  the  grunts,  all  the  small  snappers, 
the  parrot-fishes,  the  large  angel-fishes,  and  large 
(sea)  gars.  I  have  had  the  latter  on  a  fly-rod  leap 
into  the  air  and  play  with  all  the  fervor  of  a  trout ; 
yet  there  is  a  prejudice  among  anglers  against 
many  of  these  fishes. 


SNOOK;   SERGEANT-FISH 
Centropomus  uncfecimaJis  (Bloch) 


HOOKS  FOR  YELLOWTAIL  OR  WHITE  SEA-BASS   AND 
BLUEFISH 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  YELLOWTAIL 

"  The  pleasantest  angling  is  to  see  the  fish  cut  with  her  golden 
oars  the  silver  stream  and  greedily  devour  the  treacherous  bait." 

—  SHAKESPEARE. 

WHEN  the  green  tones  of  Southern  California 
merge  into  gray,  and  the  islands  alongshore  rest 
like  emeralds  in  settings  of  azure,  the  yellowtail, 
the  gayest  cavalier  of  these  summer  seas,  often  tints 
the  ocean  a  golden  hue  as  the  vast  schools  tarry 
in  the  shadows  of  the  island  mountains  following 
their  short  migration.  The  yellowtail  is  the  fish 
of  the  people.  It  is  willing  to  try  conclusions 
with  the  veriest  tyro  when  it  is  in  the  biting 
humor,  and  can  be  caught  with  almost  anything ; 
but  when  not  excited,  when  in  its  normal  condi- 
tion, with  a  bold  and  unaffected  camaraderie  it 
disdains  the  arts  of  the  cleverest  wielder  of  the 
rod  and  literally  defies  him  to  his  face,  often  at 
mere  arm's  length. 

I  have  taken  the  yellowtail  nearly  every  month 
in  the  year  "in  the  Santa  Catalina  channel  and  at 

133 


134  Big  Game  Fishes 

Santa  Catalina  and  San  Clemente  islands,  but  this 
is  exceptional,  as  the  months  of  January  and  Feb- 
ruary, as  a  rule,  know  it  not,  at  least  in  shallow 
water,  and  the  angler  who  would  take  a  yellowtail 
at  this  time  must  search  the  deep  San  Clemente 
channel,  six  hundred  feet  down,  or  the  Cortez 
Bank  south  of  Santa  Catalina,  where  there  is 
every  reason  to  believe  the  yellowtails,  or  a  cer- 
tain percentage  of  the  schools,  lie  not  far  from 
the  sardine  and  smelt  schools,  which  also  mys- 
teriously move  out  at  this  time.  In  March  a 
few  yellowtails  appear  at  the  islands,  and  in  or 
about  the  first  of  April,  sometimes  sooner,  some- 
times later,  what  is  known  as  the  first  run  comes, 
and  the  bay  of  Avalon  is  often  alive  with  fishes 
and  boats,  and  the  shouts  of  laughter  and  disap- 
pointment as  the  fish  play  havoc  with  the  rods 
and  lines  of  the  tenderfoot.  Not  many  years 
ago  I  was  at  Avalon  when  this  spring  "  rush " 
occurred.  Without  warning  a  large  school  of 
yellowtails  ran  a  small  school  of  smelts  in  on  to 
the  beach,  then  out  again,  breaking  them  up  in 
a  masterly  manner  until  the  entire  charming 
bit  of  water  was  a  mass  of  foam.  The  yellow- 
tails  averaged  twenty-five  pounds  at  least,  and  a 
cyclone  appeared  to  have  struck  the  quiet  bay. 


Tbe  Yellowtail  135 

Men,  women,  and  children  were  seized  with  that 
mad  contagion,  the  desire  to  fish,  and  hurried  to 
the  beach  with  lines  which  were  cast  with  shouts 
and  laughter,  and  in  a  short  time  the  shore  was 
a  beating,  leaping  mass  of  yellow,  green,  and 
turquoise.  Then  the  excitement  grew  fiercer. 
The  man  with  the  rod  determined  to  be  a  sports- 
man under  all  circumstances,  and  cast  over  the 
hand-lines.  The  fish  of  one  angler  ran  around 
the  lines  of  both  and  into  the  field  of  a  third, 
and  in  a  moment  the  line  of  fishermen  and 
fisherwomen  were  engaged  in  a  war  of  words. 
Every  available  boat  was  soon  rowing  about  the 
bay  in  every  direction,  many  of  which  would  have 
one  or  two  fishes  on  at  the  same  time,  presenting 
a  most  animated  spectacle. 

The  feature  of  this  unusual  and  remarkable 
scene,  which  found  its  prototype  in  the  "jack 
beat "  of  a  following  chapter,  which  impressed  me 
most,  was  the  strength  and  game  qualities  of  this 
particular  school  of  yellowtails.  Nine-tenths  of 
the  people  were  fishing  with  hand-lines,  and  so 
numerous  were  the  boats  on  the  little  bay  that 
it  seemed  impossible  to  use  rods.  The  lines 
were  of  the  codfish  variety,  ropes  more  or  less, 
yet  I  doubt  if  a  single  member  of  this  fishing 


136  Big  Game  Fishes 

babel  failed  to  lose  from  one  to  five  fish  from 
broken  lines.  The  heavy  line  would  be  broken 
fairly  by  the  lunges  of  the  fish,  which  jerked  small 
boats  about  and  turned  them  with  incredible 
ease.  For  half  an  hour  this  commotion  lasted, 
and  when  the  counting  came  the  fishermen,  who 
had  strikes  as  soon  as  the  bait  struck  the  water, 
found  that  some  had  secured  four  or  five  yellow- 
tails  ;  but  the  average  fisherman  had  landed  one 
or  two  and  lost  from  five  to  six  hooks  and  as 
many  fish.  This  incident  is  introduced  to  give 
some  idea  of  the  yellowtail  when  at  its  best,  and 
pound  for  pound  it  is  one  of,  if  not  the  best 
fighter  in  the  Western  seas ;  if  it  could  be  taken 
in  shallow  water,  it  would  put  the  salmon  to 
blush,  as  a  past  master  in  the  finesse  peculiar 
to  game  fishes.  This  was  some  years  ago ; 
to-day  the  splendid  fish  is  rarely  taken  with  a 
hand-line.  I  suggested  the  Tuna  Club  and  its 
rules  for  rod-fishing  with  the  lightest  lines  as 
a  measure  of  protection  to  this  fish  as  well  as 
others  of  these  waters,  and  to  the  example  of  the 
members  of  this  organization  is  due  the  high 
standard  of  sport  which  now  holds. 

We  have  seen  that  the  first  run  of  yellowtails 
comes  in  April.     This  may  last,  so  far   as   the 


Tbe  Yellowtail  137 

angler  is  concerned,  two  or  three  weeks,  then 
will  come  a  cessation  of  biting,  though  this  is 
by  no  means  a  hard  and  fast  rule,  rather  a 
general  average  in  my  experience.  In  May,  and 
from  then  on,  the  yellowtails  are  about  the 
islands  north  to  Santa  Barbara  in  vast  numbers, 
and  have  come  for  the  season,  which  is  of  about 
nine  months'  duration.  They  apparently  come  in 
small  schools,  then  break  up  and  are  found  in 
bands  of  greater  or  less  size  all  summer ;  in  the 
spawning  time  in  pairs  at  the  surface,  refusing 
the  daintiest  lure.  The  fishes  sweep  up  the 
"entire  coast,  reaching  offshore  to  San  Clemente 
thirty-five  miles,  and  occasionally  are  caught  as  far 
north  as  Monterey ;  but  the  approximate  northern 
limit,  so  far  as  the  angler  is  concerned,  may  be 
considered  to  be  Santa  Barbara,  the  fishing  rang- 
ing far  to  the  south  being  particularly  fine  in 
the  vicinity  of  Ensenada  and  the  shallow  bays  of 
Lower  California. 

As  the  yellowtail  enters  the  Santa  Catalina 
channel  the  charms  of  the  island  of  that  name 
and  San  Clemente  with  their  abundant  food 
supply  capture  it,  and  the  actual  rod-fishing  of 
Southern  California  may  be  said  to  focus  about 
the  region  of  which  these  two  islands,  twenty 


138  Big  Game  Fishes 

miles  apart,  are  the  centre,  giving  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  of  coast-line,  bays,  and  coves  for  the 
angler,  one-half  of  which  will  be  found  smooth 
water  —  that  rarity  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The 
yellowtail  follows  up  the  mainland  coast-line  and 
can  often  be  taken  two  or  three  miles  off  the 
beaches  from  Coronado  north;  and  at  ports  like 
Redondo,  where  deep  water  cuts  inshore,  it  is 
sometimes  taken  from  the  high  piers.  At  the 
islands  offshore  the  north  or  east  coast  is  the  lee, 
and  does  not  experience  the  heavy  trade-winds ; 
and  here  is  the  home  of  the  yellowtail,  the  waters 
in  which  the  angler  finds  conditions  far  out  to 
sea  which  call  to  mind  some  inland  lakes.  A 
large  percentage  of  the  visitors  to  these  angling 
islands  try  conclusions  with  the  gamy  yellowtail, 
and  as  a  consequence,  boats  and  boatmen  peculiar 
to  the  place  have  developed.  The  typical  fishing 
boat  is  a  sixteen  or  twenty  foot  yawl  or  launch 
with  a  two  or  four  horse-power  engine  run  by 
the  boatman,  who  is  also  gaffer  and  an  expert 
in  his  calling.  The  boat  has  two  chair  seats  at, 
and  facing,  the  stern.  Attached  to  the  seat  is  a 
cup  of  leather  to  receive  the  butt  of  the  rod  when 
a  large  fish  is  being  played,  while  overhead  is 
an  awning,  lifted  when  the  strikes  come  by  the 


The  Yellowtail  139 

boatman,  or  if  the  angler  desires  he  can  stand 
and  play  his  fish. 

The  shore  of  the  islands  is  remarkably  abrupt, 
rocky  cliffs,  rising  sheer  from  the  sea,  and  almost 
anywhere  a  ship  would  strike  the  rocks  with 
her  bowsprit  before  she  would  ground.  To  this 
is  due  the  close  inshore  fishing,  as  it  is  all  within 
from  ten  to  two  hundred  feet  of  the  shore.  The 
island  is  skirted  by  a  fringe  of  kelp  at  various 
points,  and  just  beyond  this  is  the  yellowtail 
highway  where  the  splendid  fish  sails  up  and 
down  to  the  delectation  or  confusion  of  the 
angler.  The  equipment  for  yellowtail  is  one 
more  or  less  of  fancy.  I  give  my  preference, 
and  can  only  say  in  defence  that  it  has  been 
eminently  successful,  owing  perhaps  to  the  pro- 
verbial fisherman's  luck.  The  rod  of  noib  wood, 
greenheart,  or  split  bamboo  is  from  seven  to 
eight  feet  in  length  and  weighs  not  over  twenty- 
six  ounces,  pliable,  yet  sufficiently  stiff  to  lift  a 
sulker  of  thirty  pounds  if  perchance  the  occa- 
sion demands.  The  line  is  a  twelve  or  fifteen 
strand  cuttyhunk,  or  some  equally  good  make, 
and  there  should  be  three  hundred  feet  of  it ; 
the  hook,  a  7/0  O'Shaughnessy,  though  a  larger 
size  is  more  popular,  with  a  six  or  eight  inch 


140  Big  Game  Fishes 

piano,  bronze,  or  copper  wire  leader  in  two 
links.  The  leader  should  be  fastened  to  the  line 
with  a  double  swivel.  The  bait  is  either  smelt 
or  sardine  four  to  six  inches  in  length.  The 
hook  enters  the  mouth,  coming  out  at  the  gill ; 
then  turned,  is  embedded  in  the  belly  of  the 
fish,  so  that  the  entire  hook,  except  the  upper 
shank,  is  concealed.  The  mouth  of  the  sardine 
is  now  wound  or  closed  with  a  five-inch,  very 
fine  silver  wire  which  is  attached  to  the  shank 
of  the  hook.  This  is  an  important  feature,  as 
it  prevents  the  bait  from  whirling  too  rapidly, 
which  often  results  in  ruining  the  line  by  un- 
winding it.  I  have  never  been  able  to  take 
the  fish  with  a  spoon.  '  At  times,  when  the  fish 
are  fickle,  I  have  found  a  large  flying-fish  very 
effective  as  bait,  trolling  slowly  with  a  light  pipe 
sinker  sufficient  to  take  the  bait  down  twenty  or 
thirty  feet.  This  is  an  extraordinary  bait  for  the 
fish,  being  ten  inches  in  length,  but  it  frequently 
results  in  the  capture  of  exceptionally  large  yel- 
lowtails  that  seemingly  find  it  irresistible. 

Thus  equipped  the  lines  are  unreeled  for  fifty 
or  sixty  feet  and  the  launch,  or  rowboat,  moves 
slowly  along  the  line  of  kelp  with  a  rod  out  on 
either  side.  The  fishing  is  best  in  the  morning, 


YELLOWTAIL,   OR  AMBER  FISH 
Seriola  dorsalis 


A,  wire  on  hook  to  close  the 
mouth  of  sardine  or  fish- 
bait  to  prevent  it  from 
twisting 


Sardine  or  herring  baited  for  Yellowtail  or  White  Sea-bass  trolling, 

showing  method  of  impaling  fish. 
(-4)  Copper  wire  for  lashing  the  mouth  of  the  bait-fish 


The  Yellowtail  141 

from  sunrise  to  midday,  on  the  flood-tide,  and,  as 
a  rule,  the  angler  finds  smooth  water,  with  ripples 
here  and  there  breaking  the  surface,  telling  of 
vagrant  schools  of  yellowtails  or  sea-bass.  The 
water  itself  is  a  revelation ;  it  has  a  splendid  tint, 
dotted  with  living  constellations  of  marvellous 
shapes  and  design:  crystal  chalices,  jellies  with 
fluted  cometlike  tails  of  maroon  and  deep  lav- 
ender, while  scattered  about  with  a  lavish  hand 
are  the  gems  of  the  sea,  Sapphirince,  flashing  the 
tints  of  mimic  rubies,  emeralds,  topazes,  diamonds, 
and  other  gems.  The  angler  must  be  callous 
indeed  who  is  not  charmed  with  this  divertisse- 
ment, captivated  with  these  beauties  which,  like 
sirens,  claim  his  attention  until  arrested  by  the 
loud  zeee-zeee!  of  the  reel  as  it  gives  tongue 
behind  the  rush  of  his  first  yellowtail.  A  shrill 
staccato,  and  fifty,  one  hundred  feet  of  line  have 
perhaps  gone  before  the  novice  presses  the 
leather  pad,  with  which  all  reels  are  equipped, 
and  essays  to  arrest  the  fierce  outward  rush.  At 
the  first  click  the  boatman  stops  the  engine,  and 
the  yellowtail  now  tows  the  boat  around,  as  it 
rushes  here  and  there  making  battle  so  desper- 
ately that  the  angler  is  easily  wearied. 

There  is  something  so  startling  about  the  first 


i42  Big  Game  Fishes 

rush  of  the  fish  that  the  nervous  holder  of  the  rod 
is  sometimes  stampeded.  A  fisherman  is  per- 
haps seized  with  "  buck  fever,"  under  its  influence, 
and  drops  the  rod  utterly  demoralized.  Others 
cannot  take  in  the  fish,  and  lose  fish,  rod,  and  line. 
The  yellowtail  makes  a  number  of  desperate 
lunges,  so  vigorous  that  there  is  really  nothing 
to  do  but  to  give  line.  If  the  angler  can  with- 
stand it,  then  the  rod  is  too  stiff  for  the  code 
which  holds  and  is  most  in  favor.  The  line  is 
kept  taut  and  reeled  when  opportunity  offers,  but 
if  the  fish  is  a  normal  one  and  full  of  vigor  the 
angler  will  find  the  latter  impossible  to  reel  in  as 
one  would  a  bass  or  lake-trout,  and  it  is  here  that 
vertical  or  lateral  "  pumping "  comes  into  play ; 
and  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  every  one  who 
has  tried  conclusions  with  the  fish  will  acknowl- 
edge. I  have  seen  a  novice  work  upon  a  seven- 
teen-pound fish  for  nearly  an  hour  attempting  to 
reel  it  in  out-of-hand.  At  the  end  of  half  an 
hour  the  man  was  weary,  while  the  fish  appeared 
to  be  gaining  in  vigor  if  the  click  was  a  true 
prophet.  Pumping,  it  may  be  explained  to  the 
uninitiated,  is  the  invention  of  some  unknown 
patron  of  the  sport,  which  enables  one  to  lift  a 
deep-sulking  fish,  accomplished  in  the  following 


The  Yellowtail  143 

way:  The  tip  of  the  rod  is  lowered  to  the  surface, 
then,  pressing  the  thumb  upon  the  leather  pad, 
the  fish  is  lifted  with  all  the  strength  the  line  .will 
bear,  the  angler  always  watching  for  the  rush 
which  invariably  follows,  and  when  the  tip  is 
raised  three  or  four  feet,  it  is  suddenly  dropped, 
the  slack  so  gained  being  reeled  in  as  rapidly  as 
possible ;  then  the  fish  is  again  lifted  and  the 
operation  of  "  pumping  "  repeated  indefinitely,  or 
until  the  sulker'is  brought  into  sight.  With  expe- 
rience or  practice  this  becomes  an  easy  by-play, 
and  the  fish  can  readily  be  brought  up.  The 
angler  gazing  over  the  side  now  sees  a  dazzling 
object  of  silver  careening  across  the  line  of  vision 
deep  in  the  azure  heart  of  the  ocean.  Up  it 
comes,  now  dashing  along,  causing  the  boatman 
to  row  the  boat  around  in  desperate  attempt  to 
keep  the  stern  to  the  fish.  As  it  comes  higher, 
or  nearer,  making  gallant  play,  the  old  hand  pre- 
pares for  what  is  perhaps  the  most  desperate  rush 
of  all,  and  it  comes  with  a  loud  barcarole  from 
the  reel. 

Ten  minutes  have  slipped  away  before  the 
boatman  begins  to  finger  his  gaff,  then  the  angler 
reels  the  fish  "in  short,"  passes  his  tip  forward 
as  the  fish  turns,  protesting,  ready  for  another 


144  Big  Game  Fishes 

rush,  its  heart  still  strong,  the  cruel  gaff  slips 
beneath  it,  is  jerked  into  the  silver  throat,  and 
the  struggling  fish  lifted  in.  Such  a  moment  is 
an  epoch  in  some  men's  lives.  Thirty-five  pounds 
is  the  gaffer's  report,  and  the  fish  he  holds  up  to 
the  admiring  angler  for  inspection  is  a  magnifi- 
cent specimen,  the  type  of  a  game  fish,  nearly 
four  feet  in  length,  well  proportioned,  with  lines 
like  those  of  a  privateer,  a  large  head,  yet  not  too 
large  for  the  body,  a  radiant  a"nd  large  eye. 
Along  its  back  is  a  long  dorsal  fin ;  the  tail  is 
forked,  powerful,  and  a  vivid  yellow  which  is 
carried  out  in  a  stripe  along  the  median  line. 
The  upper  body  color  is  an  olive-brown  in  the 
water,  changing  in  the  sunlight  to  the  most 
brilliant  blue  iridescence,  the  belly  silver.  Such 
is  the  general  appearance  of  this  prince  of  game 
fishes  that  dominates  the  quiet  seas  along  the 
isles  of  summer. 

Like  other  popular  fishes  the  yellowtail  re- 
joices in  a  number  of  names,  among  which  is  the 
white  salmon,  a  sad  misnomer,  the  amber-fish, 
which  has  some  significance,  and  cavasina,  while 
its  generic  name,  Seriola,  is  euphonious.  Its 
nearest  relative  is  the  little  pilot-fish,  Naucrates, 
which  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  young 


Tbe  Yellowtail  145 

Seriola.  Seriola  dorsalis  (Gill.)  is  the  large 
Pacific  species.  The  fish  attains  a  length  of 
over  four  feet,  and  I  have  seen  a  specimen  which 
weighed  eighty  pounds  dressed,  which  suggests  a 
one-hundred-pound  fish  as  the  maximum;  but 
this  is  very  rare,  at  least  in  the  Santa  Catalina 
fishing-grounds,  where  the  yellowtail  is  best 
known.  The  average  rod  catch  is  from  seven- 
teen to  twenty-five  pounds,  though  I  have  seen  a 
sixty-three-pound  fish  taken  from  the  wharf. 

The  yellowtail  spawns  in  August,  that  is,  fish 
with  spawn  are  seen  and  caught  at  this  time ;  but 
the  smallest  yellowtail  I  have  observed  in  these 
waters  in  sixteen  years  weighed  about  seven 
pounds,  the  very  young  never  being  observed 
there.  I  understand  they  are  caught  in  the  bay 
of  San  Diego  and  farther  south.  On  one  occa- 
sion only  have  I  seen  a  school  of  young  yellow- 
tails,  and  these  must  have  averaged  ten  pounds 
each.  The  very  young  yellowtail  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  little  pilot-fish,  and  is  banded 
with  ten  dark,  more  or  less  cloudy  stripes.  The 
fact  that  the  young  are  not  seen  at  the  islands  is 
by  no  means  evidence  that  the  fish  do  not  spawn 
here,  as  a  similar  instance  is  seen  in  the  black  sea- 
bass.  Almost  every  bass  taken  bears  enormous 


146  Big  Game  Fishes 

masses  of  ripe  spawn ;  but  the  very  young  have 
never  been  observed,  at  least  by  me  or  by  any 
professional  fisherman  known  to  me. 

Like  others  of  their  kind  the  yellowtail  is  fickle, 
and  at  times  the  sea  will  be  fairly  tinted  with 
them,  and  vast  schools  divide  as  the  boat  moves 
along,  yet  the  choicest  bait  is  viewed  with  scorn. 
At  such  times  the  resources  of  the  angler  are 
tested.  Bait  is  changed,  pipe  sinkers  of  various 
weight  tried,  the  speed  of  the  boat  varied.  The 
yellowtail  will  perhaps  swim  up  to  within  a  foot 
of  the  boat,  following  in  the  bait,  then  turn, 
saluting  the  angler  with  a  blaze  of  color.  A  con- 
scientious "  chumming  "  may  now  be  tried  and,  if 
the  school  is  swimming  about  slowly,  the  boat 
may  be  rowed  or  steamed  slowly  in  a  circle,  the 
boatman  throwing  over  small  sardines  on  either 
side,  six  feet  apart.  By  the  time  the  circle  is  com- 
pleted a  chain  of  yellowtails  has  been  established, 
all  feeding,  as  they  will  take  "chum";  and  if  the 
angler  is  patient,  he  can  in  many  instances  break 
the  charm,  and  once  biting,  sport  is  assured. 

It  is  a  theory  among  some  boatmen  at  the 
islands  that  the  yellowtail  fishing  is  best  from 
May  to  August  on  the  south  end  of  the  island 
and  trolling  in  order,  and  from  then  on,  at  the 


The  Yelkwtail  147 

north  end  with  casting  or  still  fishing.  In  the 
latter  the  boat  is  allowed  to  drift  and  the  yellow- 
tails  kept  alongside  by  chum,  short  casts  being 
made  of  thirty  feet.  In  this  way  at  the  grounds 
off  Ship  Rock  I  have  seen  yellowtails  hooked 
almost  as  soon  as  the  line  struck  the  water. 
Perhaps  the  most  satisfactory  method  of  yellow- 
tail  fishing  I  have  observed  was  from  the  beach 
at  the  Isthmus,  the  shallow  bay  preventing  sulk- 
ing, the  rushes  and  by-play  being  confined  to 
lateral  movements. 

The  yellowtails  are  omnivorous  feeders,  taking 
sardines,  flying-fishes,  smelt,  anchovies,  and  squid 
as  occasion  offers,  and  in  this  way  they  are  often 
"  chummed  "  up  and  caught  by  casting,  the  boat 
being  allowed  to  drift.  The  remarkable  clever- 
ness of  fishes  has  often  been  noticed.  Certain 
individuals  will  attach  themselves  to  the  wharf  at 
Avalon  at  times,  and  one  of  the  morning  pas- 
times is  to  feed  them  by  tossing  over  bait.  A 
handful  of  sardines  will  sometimes  attract  a 
number  which  rush  at  them,  picking  up  the 
fishes  with  avidity,  invariably  not  noticing  the 
hook  which  has  been  skilfully  introduced  into 
one  sardine.  It  is  only  the  extremely  patient 
fisherman  who  can  catch  such  fish.  One  veteran 


148  Big  Game  Fishes 

of  the  wharf  was  hooked  to  my  knowledge  five  or 
six  times,  bearing  two  hooks  proudly  in  its  jaw, 
and  trailed  three  feet  of  line.  I  hooked  the  same 
fish  twice  within  two  hours,  and  each  time  it  broke 
the  line  by  clever  tactics.  Its  first  rush  was  away, 
then,  feeling  the  line,  it  invariably  turned  and 
came  for  the  wharf  like  a  race-horse,  dashing 
about  the  piles  and  severing  the  line,  almost 
immediately  reappearing  in  its  accustomed  place 
by  the  side  of  the  pier,  up  and  down  which  it 
slowly  swam  in  full  view  of  the  assembled  anglers. 

That  some  fishes  have  an  attachment  for  one 
another  I  am  confident.  A  hooked  yellowtail,  in 
its  attempts  to  escape,  after  exhausting  all  methods 
dashed  down  and  squeezed  under  a  hawser  in 
twenty  feet  of  water,  so  completely  fouling  itself 
that  it  could  not  move.  I  could  see  the  unfortu- 
nate fish  distinctly,  and  close  beside  it  poised  its 
mate  or  comrade  of  the  same  size,  apparently 
endeavoring  to  aid  it  in  escaping ;  and  during  the 
long  time  I  watched  the  two  fishes,  the  free 
yellowtail  remained  by  its  entangled  mate. 

Singularly  enough,  the  yellowtail,  the  com- 
monest fish  in  the  Pacific,  is  not  in  great  demand 
as  a  food-fish,  and  few  are  eaten,  owing  to  some 
unreasonable  prejudice,  as  when  properly  cooked, 


The  Yellowtail  149 

especially  boiled,  it  is  excellent,  and  in  any  other 
section  of  the  country  would  have  a  decided 
economic  value. 

The  genus  is  well  represented  on  the  Atlantic 
and  Gulf  coasts  of  America  by  several  fine  game 
fishes.  One,  the  amber- jack,  Seriola  lalandi, 
deserves  especial  mention.  I  have  landed  but  a 
single  specimen,  which  weighed  forty  or  more 
pounds,  taken  at  Long  Key,  outer  Florida  reef, 
since,  I  understand,  washed  away  by  a  hurricane. 
The  fish  attains  a  weight  of  one  hundred  pounds 
and  a  length  of  six  feet,  and  is  a  vigorous  fighter. 
An  acquaintance  who  caught  one  of  these  fishes 
weighing  eighty  pounds,  at  Palm  Beach,  informed 
me  that  he  fought  the  fish  two  hours  before  it 
was  brought  to  gaff.  The  amber-jack  ranges 
from  the  region  of  the  equator  to  New  York,  but 
is  most  common  from  Cape  Florida  to  Key  West, 
at  least  most  available  to  the  angler.  Many  are 
caught  with  hand-lines  and  mullet  bait. 

A  smaller  yellowtail,  also  called  amber-jack,  is 
found  along  the  Gulf  coast  of  Florida  and  down 
the  keys,  frequenting  deeper  water,  and  is  occa- 
sionally taken  when  grouper  fishing.  There  is 
another  yellowtail,  not  to  be  confused  with  the 
above,  yet  essentially  the  yellowtail  of  the  reef, 


150  Big  Game  Fishes 

known  to  science  as  Ocyurus  chrysurus,  and  at 
Porto  Rico  as  colirubia.  It  is  a  dainty,  radiant 
creature,  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  all  fishes, 
nor  only  with  yellow  tail,  which  color  constitutes 
the  base  from  which  radiate  rays  of  golden  lines, 
splashing  and  blotching  it  with  color.  Its  eye, 
like  that  of  the  large  Seriola,  is  an  object  of 
beauty,  clear,  bright,  black,  and  vivid  red.  I  have 
taken  it  off  the  great  fringing  reef  of  Garden  Key 
by  casting  in  among  the  waving  gorgonias  —  a 
fitting  home  for  so  beautiful  a  creature,  and  can 
commend  the  fish,  which  attains  a  weight  of  eight 
or  even  ten  pounds,  to  the  angler  with  an  eight  or 
ten  ounce  rod,  the  lightest  line,  with  a  number 
three  O'Shaughnessy  hook  with  a  three-ply  twisted 
gut  leader  and  no  sinker.  Such  an  equipment 
with  fresh  crayfish  bait  will  afford  the  angler 
much  delightful  sport. 

The  relative  game  qualities  of  the  same  fishes 
of  different  size  is  an  interesting  subject.  The 
yellowtails  of  all  sizes  are  good  fighters,  and  by 
varying  the  size  of  the  rod  and  tackle  the  angler 
can  obtain  full  enjoyment  from  all.  In  my  ex- 
perience the  yellowtail  of  seventeen  or  twenty 
pounds  is  as  a  rule  the  hardest  fighter,  many  very 
large  fishes  not  possessing  the  agility  and  activity ; 


Tbe  Yellowtail  151 

and  except  in  rare  instances  this  holds  good 
among  all  fishes,  the  fish  of  medium  size  being 
the  gamiest.  In  fishing  for  yellowtails  one  is 
impressed  with  the  truism  that  the  act  of  capture 
is  a  very  small  part  of  the  angler's  pleasure.  In 
the  one  case,  he  has  in  the  California  islands  cool 
days,  smooth  and  beautiful  water,  attractive  sur- 
roundings, rugged  cliffs,  and  the  many  beauties 
of  nature  as  solace  if  luck  is  poor.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  trolling,  following  the  amber-jack 
along  the  Florida  keys,  he  is  floating  over  verita- 
ble gardens  of  the  sea,  which  flash  every  color  of 
the  rainbow,  along  sands  which  form  the  settings 
for  growing  keys  which,  like  pearls,  are  strung 
along  the  Mexican  Gulf. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   BLUEFISH 

"  Fisherman.    Master,  I  marvel  how  the  fishes  live  in  the  sea. 
Master.    Why,  as  men  do  a-land  :   the  great  ones  eat  up  the 
little  ones."  —  Pericles. 

NOT  far  from  the  isle  of  Patience,  in  Rhode 
Island  waters,  an  old  longshoreman  and  fisherman 
once  informed  me  that  he  had  taken  one  hundred 
and  forty  "  horse-mackerel  "  in  a  single  day.  In 
Georgia  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Mary's  not  far 
from  Dungeness,  my  sable  boatman  told  me  of 
the  delights  of  "  skipjack  "  fishing  in  the  proper 
season.  The  retired  New  Bedford  whaler,  who 
fishes  near  there,  will  show  you  a  rod  bent  by 
"  snappers,"  and  the  Jamaica  Bay  angler  esteems 
himself  in  great  good  luck  when  he  makes  a 
catch  of  "skip  mackerel."  I  offended  the  Pa- 
tience Island  fishermen  by  intimating  that  one 
horse-mackerel  a  season  would  be  considered  a 
good  catch  by  some  people,  and  then  he  produced 
the  game.  It  was  a  bluefish.  So,  in  Georgia,  the 

152 


The  Bluefisb  153 

bluefish  was  the  skip-jack,  and  in  all  these  locali- 
ties it  was  the  same  hard-fighting,  bluff,  line- 
breaking,  hook-taking,  devastating  bluefish,  not 
travelling  under  an  incognito,  but  having  alias 
upon  alias  forced  upon  it  by  the  fishermen  and 
beach-combers  alongshore  from  Maine  to  Florida. 
Even  the  most  rigid  adherents  of  the  school 
of  rod  fishermen,  who  look  upon  the  hand- 
line  as  a  contrivance  of  the  pot-hunter,  will  have 
to  cry  peccavi,  when  the  bluefish  is  mentioned,  as 
the  largest  number  of  these  gamy  creatures  are 
taken  with  a  hand-line,  and  find  the  ruthless 
slaughter  which  they  carry  on  among  the  small 
fry  turned  upon  themselves.  No  one  can  deny 
the  fascination  of  the  sport ;  the  fresh  wind,  the 
rushing  boat,  the  skipper  sitting  on  the  edge  of 
nothing  to  windward,  to  hold  her  down,  the  angler 
from  the  city  perchance  lying  in  the  lee  scuppers 
holding  on  for  dear  life,  his  arms  wrenched  and 
chafed  by  the  gamy  fish  which  seems  to  be  in 
league  with  the  "  old  man  "  at  the  helm  to  com- 
plete his  demoralization.  But  when  the  same 
ancient  mariner  has  had  his  joke,  and  luffs  at  the 
strike,  then  there  is  sport  for  the  hand-liner,  who, 
seized  with  the  lust  for  killing,  plays  and  is 
played,  with  shout  and  laughter. 


154  Big  Game  Fishes 

No  one  can  watch  the  bluefish  amusing  itself 
at  the  expense  of  a  party  of  dry-land  fishermen 
but  is  convinced  that  this  blue-backed,  slashing 
creature  is  the  fish  of  the  people.  Off  Newport 
and  all  along  the  coast  the  bluefish  has  been  suc- 
cessfully fished  for  with  rod  and  reel,  and  I  have 
enjoyed  the  sport  at  Fisher's  Island,  off  New 
London,  and  am  convinced  that  if  proper  boats 
were  employed,  after  the  fashion  of  the  yellovvtail 
and  tuna  launches  of  California,  bluefishing  with 
a  rod  would  become  as  popular  as  the  quest  of 
the  striped  bass  among  the  islands  of  strange 
names,  of  which  Cuttyhunk  is  the  most  familiar. 

My  first  attempt  to  take  a  bluefish  with  a  rod 
was  disastrous  to  the  rod.  The  current  at  Fisher's 
Island  was  particularly  fierce  where  the  fish  were 
biting,  so  that  a  rowboat  was  impossible;  and, 
with  a  stiff  breeze,  I  had  my  boatman  beat  up 
and  down  across  the  tide-rip,  which  reminded  me, 
in  its  intensity,  of  the  "  rip  raps "  at  Old  Point 
Comfort,  or  "  Pull  and  be  d Point "  at  Ports- 
mouth. The  water  was  clear  and  beautiful,  aerated 
with  constant  whitecaps,  hence  exhilarating  to  the 
fish,  which  were  evidently  feeding,  breaking  water 
here  and  there.  I  had  the  mainsail  triced  up  so 
that  the  main  boom,  from  a  distance,  looked  like 


HARDTAIL;    "RUNNER" 
Caranx  crysos  (Mitchill) 


CREVALLE;    " CAVALLY " ;    "JACK 
Caranx  hippos  (Linnaeus) 


BLUEFISH 
Pomatomus  saltatrix  (Linnseus) 


The  Bluefisb  155 

the  topgallant  yard  of  a  three-master ;  at  least,  it 
cleared  my  head  when  it  swung  around.  My  rod 
weighed  twenty-six  ounces,  was  eight  feet  long, 
with  a  far  too  slender  tip,  and  was  rigged  with  a 
number  twelve  cuttyhunk  line,  which  would  pull 
a  dead  weight  of  twenty-two  pounds.  The  skip- 
per had  orders  to  luff  at  the  strike  and  hold  her 
in  the  wind  until  I  brought  the  bluefish  to  gaff 
—  this  is  a  well-planned  theory,  and,  as  the  boat- 
man said  later  on,  "  it  looked  all  right."  Presently 
we  were  bounding  over  the  water,  the  silvery  bait 
flashing  from  wave  to  wave  sixty  feet  behind.  We 
had  reached  halfway  over  the  "  rip,"  the  little  cat- 
boat  flying  along,  lee  scuppers  under,  with  a  big 
bone  in  her  teeth,  the  skipper,  with  one  hand  on 
the  tiller,  and  the  other  grasping  the  main-sheet, 
ready  to  slack  away  when  the  strike  came  —  the 
reel  screamed,  "  luff!  luf-f-f-f-f !"  shrilly,  then  madly, 
and  up  into  the  wind  came  the  boat,  caracoling, 
shaking  her  sails,  and  making  a  prodigious  pro- 
test at  being  stopped  in  so  ruthless  a  manner. 
But  all  was  not  well  with  me;  the  bluefish  had 
made  a  prodigious  rush,  and  aided  by  the  speed 
of  the  boat,  literally  ran  out  my  line,  and,  despite 
a  desperate  effort  to  save  it,  took  line  and  tip. 
But  there  were  more  lines,  more  tips,  and  more 


156  Big  Game  Fishes 

bluefish,  and  the  next  time  we  close-hauled  the 
cat-boat,  ran  her  into  the  very  eye-teeth  of  the 
wind,  against  the  current,  and  at  the  strike 
pushed  her  into  the  wind,  and  let  the  main-sheet 
run ;  and  then  I  was  initiated  into  the  delights  of 
real  sport  with  the  rod.  No  fish  makes  a  better 
or  more  vigorous  fight,  pound  for  pound.  Amid 
the  clanking  of  boom,  the  tattoo  of  reefing  points, 
the  jangle  of  the  block  along  the  traveller,  I 
played  the  bluefish.  How  it  played  and  bore 
away !  What  mad  rushes  it  made  in  and  around  ! 
now  far  away  at  the  surface,  where  the  dark 
green  waters  rolled  in  silvery  laughter;  now 
plunging  off,  forcing  the  fight,  and  making  the 
reel  sob  and  cry.  For  ten  minutes  I  played  this 
gallant  fish,  and  when  at  last  it  came  in,  I  was 
forced  around  the  mast  and  under  the  sheet  sev- 
eral times  to  meet  its  circling ;  finally  it  came  to 
gaff,  fifteen  pounds  of  vigor  and  unsuppressible 
animation. 

The  bluefish  is  one  of  the  gamiest  of  American 
fishes  with  a  rod,  but  rods  and  a  sail-boat  rarely 
agree,  and  the  strain  on  the  nerves  of  the  average 
angler,  not  to  mention  the  skipper,  who  is  ex- 
pected to  luff  at  the  right  moment,  is  too  great. 
With  an  eighteen-  or  twenty-foot  four-horse-power 


The  Bluefisb  157 

gasolene  launch,  built  light,  with  a  canvas  hood, 
which  can  be  used  forward,  rigged  with  two  chairs 
facing  astern,  resting  on  a  plank  on  the  rail,  blue- 
fishing  with  a  rod  could  be  enjoyed,  and  would 
become  a  popular  sport  around  southern  New 
England,  as  such  a  boat  can  be  stopped  and  re- 
versed almost  immediately. 

There  is  something  infectious  and  extremely 
exciting  in  bluefishing,  no  matter  how  taken. 
The  big  cat-boat  off  Nan  tucket,  with  two  or 
three  lines  astern,  and  a  large  party  of  men  and 
women  all  eager  for  the  fray,  bright  eyes  spar- 
kling, red  cheeks  splashed  by  the  dashing  spray, 
the  shouts  of  laughter,  the  hissing  of  lines 
through  the  water,  the  beating  of  powerful  tails 
on  the  planks,  are  all  features  which  add  to  the 
gayety  and  joy  of  life  and  in  making  it  worth 
living,  especially  when  fish  are  biting  and  bait  is 
plentiful.  The  bluefish  attains  a  weight  of  thirty 
pounds,  possibly  more,  and  the  record  catch  with 
a  rod,  according  to  the  Forest  and  Stream,  is  a 
twenty-five-pound  fish,  the  fish  being  taken  by 
L.  Hatherway,  from  the  bridge  at  Cohasset  Nar- 
rows. The  bluefish  is  now  caught  with  rod  and 
reel  wherever  found  in  this  country,  and  as  the 
young  at  nearly  all  ages  are  equally  gamy,  the 


158  Big  Game  Fishes 

angler  has  a  wide  range  from  "  snappers  "  of  two 
or  more  pounds  with  a  fly-rod,  to  eight  pounds 
with  a  bass  rod,  adapting  his  tackle  to  the  size 
of  the  game  at  hand.  In  trolling,  the  jig  is  used 
—  bone  or  metal,  menhaden  or  any  silvery  fish,  or 
even  a  white  rag.  Along  the  Jersey  shore  and 
many  wide  sandy  beaches  they  are  caught  by  cast- 
ing far  out  beyond  the  breakers,  the  men  running 
the  fish  in  with  the  line  over  their  shoulders  as 
soon  as  hooked.  Others,  again,  at  very  favorable 
localities,  wade  out  and  cast  with  rods,  but  the 
best  rod-fishing  is  in  some  locality  where  the  boat 
can  be  rowed  by  a  boatman  or  anchored  near  a 
tide-rip,  when  the  angler  can  cast  his  menhaden 
or  sardine  out  into  the  water,  and  by  reeling  in 
hook  the  gamy  fish. 

The  bluefish  is  a  comely  creature  about  three 
feet  in  length,  long,  fairly  slender,  with  a  robust, 
well-proportioned  body,  the  dorsal  fins  low,  the 
tail  large  and  powerful.  Its  color,  as  the  name 
indicates,  is  blue  above,  appearing  green  in  the 
water,  and  bright  silvery  below,  and  altogether 
a  beautiful  fish,  the  embodiment  of  vigor,  grace, 
and  pugnacity.  It  belongs  to  the  genus  Poma- 
tomus,  and  has  many  synonyms,  twelve  at  least, 
and  is  now  known  as  Pomatomus  saltatrix  (Linn.). 


The  Bluefisb  159 

It  has  a  wide  geographical  range,  being  found 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Brazil.  It  is  a  common 
fish  in  Australian  waters,  in  the  Malay  Archi- 
pelago, and  off  South  Africa.  Its  movements 
are  singular  and  erratic.  Thus,  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean, it  is  caught  at  Algiers,  but  is  rare  on  the 
Italian  shore.  It  shuns  the  Atlantic  coast  of 
Europe  in  the  latitudes  in  which  it  is  common 
in  America.  It  never  crosses  from  Florida  to 
the  Bermudas,  and  it  apparently  avoids  the 
islands  of  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico.  Doubtless  it 
disappears  from  certain  localities,  reappearing 
again  only  after  many  years.  Thus,  so  far  as 
known,  it  was  not  chronicled  north  of  Cape 
Cod  prior  to  1837. 

The  bluefish  moves  north  or  south  according 
to  the  weather.  It  appears  along  the  shore  of 
Delaware,  Virginia,  and  New  York  in  May, 
gradually  reaching  the  higher  latitudes  as  the 
summer  approaches,  and  remains  until  October. 
During  this  period  it  moves  in  large  schools, 
feeding  on  menhaden,  squid,  and  various  fishes 
allied  to  sardines,  herring,  and  mackerel,  and  is 
so  voracious  that  it  is  a  factor  to  be  considered 
in  the  depletion  of  bait  fishes.  I  have  seen  blue- 
fish  charge  a  school  of  small  mackerel,  leaving 


160  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  water  filled  with  silvery  fragments  which 
sank  like  stars  in  the  blue  sky  of  the  ocean,  to 
be  picked  up  by  hungry  dogfishes  attracted  by 
the  slaughter.  The  bluefishes  seemed,  like 
"jacks,"  to  eat  what  they  wished,  then,  crazed 
by  the  excitement  of  the  chase,  amused  them- 
selves by  biting  the  fleeing  victims  for  the  mere 
wanton  pleasure  of  killing.  Such  a  killing  can 
often  be  recognized  from  a  distance  by  the  fly- 
ing foam  and  the  vociferous  notes  of  gulls  which 
hasten  in  that  direction.  The  enormous  numbers 
of  bluefishes  off  the  American  coast  in  mid- 
summer are  beyond  computation.  Professor 
Baird  refers  to  a  thousand  millions,  and  to  afford 
some  idea  of  their  voracity  he  says  that  if  each 
one  eats  ten  small  fish  per  day,  then  ten  thou- 
sand millions  of  small  fry  are  needed  to  supply 
the  daily  commissariat  of  this  fast-moving  army. 
The  fisherman  in  "  Pericles  "  who  wondered  how 
the  fishes  of  the  sea  lived,  doubtless  had  never 
been  a  bluefish  fisherman. 

Considering  the  vast  number  of  bluefish  very 
little  is  known  regarding  its  spawning.  On  Cape 
Cod  and  at  Nantucket  the  fishermen  believe  that 
it  spawns  in  midsummer,  depositing  its  spawn 
on  the  clear  sandy  bottoms.  G.  Brown  Goode 


Tbe  Bluefisb  161 

suggested  that  they  spawned  late  in  the  year, 
as  small  bluefish  were  seen  at  Beaufort  in 
December;  but  the  question  is  an  open  one. 
About  ten  per  cent  of  the  young  of  each  fish 
are  supposed  to  attain  maturity.  When  about 
fourteen  inches  long  the  weight  is  a  pound.  A 
fish  two  feet  in  length  will  weigh  about  seven 
pounds,  and  the  early  spring  fish  often  range 
from  seven  to  ten  pounds  in  weight,  larger 
and  more  robust  specimens  appearing  later  in 
the  season.  As  to  the  spawning  habits  of  the 
fish  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  there  is  more  definite 
data.  According  to  Mr.  Stearns  it  is  very  abun- 
dant on  the  Gulf  Stream  coast  as  far  west  as 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  River.  It  arrives 
in  April  or  the  last  of  March,  there  being  several 
distinct  "  runs."  The  first  to  arrive  are  smaller 
than  those  coming  later.  Then,  every  fish 
Mr.  Stearns  found  in  spawn,  and  that  it  is 
deposited  at  this  time,  in  the  months  of  May, 
June,  July,  and  August,  he  is  confident,  as  he 
has  caught  young  bluefish  in  June  and  August 
not  over  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  length.  In 
June  nearly  all  the  adults  disappear  from  view, 
and  in  November  and  December  the  young  fish 
are  seen  to  pass  through  the  inlets  and  go  to  sea. 


1 62  Big  Game  Fishes 

At  this  time  fishes  ranging  from  three  and  five 
inches  to  fifteen  inches  are  observed.  In  obser- 
vations covering  six  years  I  never  saw  or  heard 
of  a  bluefish  on  the  outer  reef. 

The  bluefish  is  a  valuable  food-fish  —  one  of 
the  most  delicious  table  fishes  in  America.  After 
being  kept  or  frozen,  its  delicate  flavor  is,  to  a 
certain  extent,  lost.  Over  eight  million  pounds 
of  bluefish  are  consumed  annually,  valued  at 
about  half  a  million  dollars,  and  all  alongshore 
wherever  found  they  rank  high  as  game  or  food 
fish,  or  both. 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE  JACK 

"  But  why,  good  fisherman, 
Am  I  thought  meet  for  you,  that  never  yet 
Had  angling  rod  cast  towards  me  ?  " 

—  Moll  Cutpurse  (1611). 

LONG  JOHN,  Bob  Rand,  Paublo,  and  Chief,  the 
Seminole,  all  clever  with  the  grains  at  long  range, 
and  with  the  cast-line,  were  the  authorities  at 
Garden  Key,  on  the  Florida  reef,  and  as  I  un- 
folded a  rod  one  evening  in  their  rangy  quarters, 
and  announced  that  I  was  going  to  fish  with 
it,  they  looked  at  me  in  such  undisguised  amaze- 
ment that  I  assumed  that  a  piece  of  "  machinery  " 
of  the  kind  had  never  before  been  seen  on  the 
key  of  the  gulf.  In  the  summer  months  par- 
ticularly, the  various  channels  of  the  reef  were 
the  favorite  haunts  of  the  jack  (Caranx  hippos\ 
one  of  the  gamiest  fishes  that  swims  the  South- 
ern seas. 

The  keys  dotted  the  blue  gulf  like  emeralds ; 
masses  of  green  bay  cedar  encircled  with  white 

163 


1 64  Big  Game  Fishes 

coral  beaches,  apparently  floating  on  the  waters, 
possessing  a  charm  peculiarly  their  own.  The 
air  was  as  soft  as  velvet  to  the  cheek,  the  days 
clear  and  beautiful,  and  the  atmosphere  had  a 
strange  resonance  as  though  the  blue  vault  of 
the  heavens  was  a  sounding-board  which  made 
every  sound  bell-like  and  distinct.  The  distant 
roar  of  the  surf  on  the  outer  reef,  the  grinding 
of  the  dead  coral  rocks  as  they  were  tossed 
hither  and  yon  by  the  waves,  the  far-away 
"  ha-ha "  of  the  laughing  gull,  the  crash  of  the 
big  ray  as  its  winglike  fins  struck  the  wrater, 
all  were  heard  with  extraordinary  distinctness 
by  the  angler  drifting  in  lagoon  or  channel. 
This  explains  why  the  jacks  invariably  sum- 
moned me  to  the  sport,  which  for  excitement 
and  novelty  it  would  be  difficult  to  exceed. 

In  my  initial  experience  I  was  a  fourth  of  a 
mile  away  when  a  sound  like  the  pattering  of 
rain  came  softly  down  the  wind.  Louder  it 
grew,  changing  into  a  ringing,  rushing  noise, 
then  into  a  roar. 

"Don1  yo'  hear  it,  sah?"  whispered  Chief, 
resting  on  his  oars,  allowing  the  dinghy  to  drift. 

I  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  sound  and 
became  witness  to  my  first  "jack  beat."  The 


The  Jack  165 

lagoon  was  a  sheet  of  glass,  a  dead  calm  having 
taken  possession  of  the  gulf,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  see.  Here  and  there  the  knifelike  fin 
of  some  vagrant  shark  cut  the  water,  or  a  billfish 
went  ricochetting  along,  the  only  disturbing 
elements ;  yet  near  the  shore-line  of  a  long 
attenuated  key  of  white  sand,  the  waters  were 
beaten  into  foam,  amid  which  scores  of  bodies 
were  leaping.  It  was  the  jack,  or  cavally,  the 
horse  crevalle,  as  it  is  known  from  Cuba  to  the 
Carolinas  and  beyond,  and  the  roar  was  made 
by  a  large  school  fiercely  charging  the  ranks 
of  a  school  of  sardines,  to  capture  which  they 
sprang  into  the  air,  surged  along  the  surface, 
all  the  while  beating  the  water  with  their  tails, 
creating  a  loud  and  peculiar  sound  called  by 
my  boatmen  "beating"  —  a  term  which  well  ap- 
plied. With  lusty  strokes,  Chief  now  sent  the 
dinghy  flying  ahead,  and  in  a  few  moments 
forced  her  into  the  midst  of  the  wildest  and 
most  remarkable  commotion  I  had  ever  wit- 
nessed. The  fishes  had  moved  inshore,  and 
for  two  or  three  acres  changed  the  water  into 
a  foaming  sea.  They  were  in  the  air  by  hun- 
dreds, their  silvery  sides  glistening  in  the  sun- 
light, their  fins  flashing  golden  yellow  —  a  most 


1 66  Big  Game  Fishes 

exhilarating  spectacle.  I  had  reeled  in  my  line, 
but  as  I  lifted  it  from  the  water  a  jack  seized 
the  bait,  and  broke  it.  As  the  bow  of  the  dinghy 
ran  up  on  to  the  sandy  beach  I  saw  scores  of 
fishes,  ranging  from  ten  to  twenty-five  pounds, 
leap  from  the  water  out  upon  the  shore.  I 
sprang  overboard  knee-deep  into  the  throng, 
and  found  that  the  sardines  formed  an  almost 
solid  mass  two  feet  or  more  wide  directly  along- 
shore, with  stragglers  forming  a  dark  streak 
for  five  feet  out.  Into  this  helpless  cordon  the 
jacks  were  plunging,  maddened  with  excitement, 
long  ago  satiated,  and  now  killing  in  wanton 
sport,  for  the  mere  lust  of  killing,  filling  the 
water  with  silvery  bodies  and  their  parts  until 
a  line  of  blood  marked  the  melee. 

The  jacks  paid  no  attention  to  us,  and  my 
Seminole  boatman,  himself  seized  with  the  desire 
to  catch  the  fishes,  carried  away  with  the  excite- 
ment of  the  scene,  plunged  his  hands  into  the 
teeming  mass  and  grasping  the  jacks  by  the 
tail  tossed  them  upon  the  beach,  where  scores 
were  leaping  and  beating  their  way  down  the 
sands  into  the  water  again.  I  was  repeatedly 
nearly  overthrown  by  being  struck  by  them, 
and  finally  made  my  way  to  the  beach  to  watch 


The  Jack  167 

this  remarkable  scene  of  carnage,  to  revel  in 
which,  gulls,  pelicans,  and  man-of-war  birds 
were  now  gathering  from  all  over  the  reef.  For 
ten  or  fifteen  minutes  the  extraordinary  spec- 
tacle was  continued,  until  the  low  beach  was 
lined  with  jacks,  dead  and  dying ;  then  the  school 
drew  off  as  suddenly  as  it  had  appeared,  leav- 
ing the  long,  sinuous  red  stain  to  tell  the 
story. 

This,  I  learned,  was  the  method  of  feeding 
most  in  vogue  among  jacks  in  this  region.  The 
school,  composed  of  thousands,  would  sweep  in 
from  the  gulf,  follow  up  the  narrow  blue  chan- 
nels, the  veins  of  the  reef,  and  when  a  school 
of  sardines  was  sighted,  drive  it  bodily  inshore, 
losing  all  sense  of  danger  or  fear  in  the  wild 
excitement  of  the  "beating."  The  remarkable 
leaps  of  the  jacks,  their  quickness,  evident 
strength,  and  agility,  suggested  a  new  field  for 
the  rod,  nor  was  I  disappointed.  The  school 
had  left  the  lagoon,  turned  the  point  of  the 
key,  and  was  evidently  now  in  the  channel, 
where  I  found  it  the  following  day,  and  enjoyed 
sport  that  comes  rarely  in  the  experience  of 
the  angler,  which  even  here  could  not  always 
be  counted  upon,  as  the  schools  were  constantly 


1 68  Big  Game  Fishes 

moving.  Chief  notified  me  that  the  jacks  were 
in  the  channel,  which  ran  so  near  the  key  that 
one  could  almost  dive  into  the  blue  water.  From 
the  sandy  beach  I  cast,  having  baited  with  a 
three-inch  sardine,  dropping  the  line,  a  number 
twelve,  with  its  slender  copper-wire  leader, 
seventy  or  eighty  feet  from  shore,  then  reeling 
quickly  in.  Hardly  had  the  reel  gained  ten 
feet  of  the  line  when  a  jack  shot  along  the 
surface  taking  it  deftly,  then  rushed  away  throw- 
ing the  water  bravely,  seemingly  in  search  of 
others  of  the  school;  then  it  felt  the  line,  and 
a  reserve  fifty  feet  went  spinning  off  so  rapidly 
that  I  was  nearly  forced  into  the  water  in  my 
efforts  to  save  something.  I  had  not  ten  feet 
of  line  left  on  the  reel  when  I  stopped  the  rush 
of  the  valiant  fish.  No  sulker  he,  but  a  con- 
stant fair  fighter,  a  rush  directly  away,  asking 
no  favors,  giving  none ;  now  up  partly  into  the 
air  with  vigorous  shake,  now  'surging  along  the 
surface,  to  turn  with  a  lateral  rush,  a  very 
volley  of  tricks  and  stratagems  hurled  at  the 
angler  with  a  rapidity  that  could  not  fail  to 
confuse  the  most  phlegmatic  veteran  of  the  rod. 
The  angler's  poet,  the  late  Isaac  McLellan, 
writes :  — 


Tbe  Jack  169 

"  Swift  speed  crevalle"  over  that  watery  plain, 

Swift  over  Indian  River's  broad  expanse. 
Swift  where  the  ripples  boil  with  finny  hosts, 

Bright  glittering  they  glance ; 
And  when  the  angler's  spoon  is  over  them  cast, 

How  fierce,  how  vigorous  the  fight  for  life  ! 
Now  in  the  deeps  they  plunge,  now  leap  in  air 

Till  ends  the  unequal  strife." 

My  light  rod  bent  almost  double  and  was 
tested  in  every  fibre,  as  the  long  deep  surges 
came  thrilling  up  the  line.  Now  my  game  had 
me  fairly  in  the  water,  then  I  gained  and  backed 
up  the  sands,  reeling  when  I  could,  giving,  taking, 
drinking  in  the  music  of  the  reel,  and  anon  catch- 
ing a  glimpse  of  the  stolid  countenance  of  the 
Indian  boatman,  who  followed  my  every  move- 
ment with  amazement  at  the  mysterious  power 
of  what  seemed  to  him  a  whip,  to  control  so 
powerful  a  fish.  Gradually  I  worked  the  game 
up  the  beach  into  shallow  water,  that  my  sport 
might  not  be  interrupted  by  the  sharks,  and  for 
perhaps  fifteen  minutes  played  and  was  played 
and  nearly  outgeneralled  by  the  fish ;  then  waist- 
deep  in  the  water,  where  it  had  forced  me  to 
save  the  delicate  line,  I  finally  reeled  it  within 
reach. 

Every  day  in  June,  July,  and  August  the  roar 


170  Big  Game  Fishes 

of  a  jack  beat  could  be  heard,  sometimes  a  dozen 
times  from  the  reef,  and  so  exciting  was  the  inci- 
dent that  generally  some  one  would  pull  off 
and  join  the  gulls,  pelicans,  and  other  curious 
ones.  At  this  time  the  fish  would  bite  at  any- 
thing. A  handkerchief  dashed  through  the  water, 
a  piece  of  coral  thrown  in,  —  indeed,  any  object 
would  be  seized;  and  I  have  seen  several  fisher- 
men cast  their  lines  into  the  throng,  and  become 
so  excited  that  an  inextricable  tangle  was  the 
result. 

The  jack,  like  many  other  fishes,  changes  its 
name  with  the  locality.  On  the  reef  where  I 
caught  it  winter  and  summer,  around  Long, 
Sand,  Bush,  Garden,  Loggerhead,  and  other 
keys,  it  was  the  jack  pure  and  simple.  On  the 
Cuban  coast  it  is  toro.  At  Porto  Rico  it  is 
jack,  and  jiguagua,  but  up  the  coast  at  Indian 
River  it  becomes  cavally,  while  the  South  Caro- 
linians call  it  horse  crevalle.  It  ranges  the 
waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  vicinity,  on  the 
Pacific  side  of  the  isthmus,  and  is  common  in 
the  region  of  Panama ;  but  for  some  reason  the 
fish  does  not  range  north  on  this  coast,  despite 
the  warm  water.  In  the  Atlantic,  specimens 
have  been  seen  as  far  north  as  Cape  Cod,  but 


Tbe  Jack  171 

this  is  exceptional.  The  northern  range  of  the 
fish,  so  far  as  the  American  angler  is  concerned, 
may  be  considered  St.  Augustine.  I  have  fished 
for  it  unsuccessfully  at  Fernandina  and  from 
there  alongshore  as  far  south  as  New  Smyrna, 
where  it  is  caught.  On  the  outer  reef  the  jacks 
appeared  in  numbers  and  began  the  "  beating  " 
about  the  middle  of  April,  sometimes  a  month 
earlier,  the  schools  frequently  being  of  large  size. 
They  apparently  broke  up  into  small  bands  and 
were  caught  until  November  in  goodly  numbers, 
the  first  norther  ending  what  may  be  called  the 
season,  though  some  jacks  were  to  be  had  every 
month  in  the  year.  They  ranged  in  weight  from 
ten  to  thirty  pounds,  but  I  am  positive  that  I 
have  seen  jacks  in  a  school  off  East  Key  which 
must  have  weighed  much  more.  The  smaller 
fishes,  say  of  fifteen  pounds,  predominated. 
They  spawned  on  the  reef  in  June  or  July,  nearly 
all  fishes  taken  in  May  and  April  containing 
spawn,  and  a  few  weeks  later  young  were  found 
on  the  surface,  every  jellyfish  being  preempted  by 
the  young  of  some  species 

The  best-known  and  the  most  available  fishing- 
ground  for  the  jack,  or  cavally,  is  from  Cape 
Florida  north  on  the  West  Florida  coast,  at 


172  Big  Game  Fishes 

Aransas  Pass  and  other  points  on  the  Texan 
coast,  and  in  the  Indian  River  region.  At  the 
latter  locality  they  afford  excellent  sport  and  can 
almost  always  be  found  from  May  to  November, 
and  few  anglers  in  Florida  but  have  tried  conclu- 
sions with  this  fish.  The  jack  is  a  convivial  fellow, 
bold,  daring,  sociable,  with  a  penchant  for  dis- 
playing its  attractions  around  wharves  and  docks, 
darting  along  near  the  surface,  a  vision  of  silver, 
gold,  and  green,  its  "  Roman  nose,"  large  head, 
and  prominent  eyes  making  it  a  conspicuous  object, 
while  the  variety  in  size  renders  it  game  for  the 
smallest  rods.  I  have  taken  small  jacks  with  a 
trout-rod  with  good  results,  and  one  can  grade 
them  up  with  rods  adapted  to  their  size,  which 
is  an  essential  in  all  fair  fishing.  In  taking  the 
large  jacks  I  used  a  jointed  greenheart  rod  eight 
and  a  half  feet  long,  not  over  twelve  ounces 
in  weight ;  the  reel  held  about  three  hundred 
feet  of  line  corresponding  to  what  is.  known  as 
number  twelve  cuttyhunk;  and  for  jacks  weigh- 
ing from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds,  even  a  number 
nine  line,  providing  three  hundred  feet  was  at 
hand,  was  sufficiently  strong  to  enable  me  to  land 
the  game. 

The  jack  is  not  an  epicure ;  any  lure  is  game 


The  Jack  173 

for  it.  I  have  caught  a  fish  trolling  with  a  white 
rag,  with  crayfish,  conch,  cut  to  resemble  a  sar- 
dine, or  mullet,  and  with  a  hand-line  after  a  sail 
boat  it  affords  all  the  sport  of  the  bluefish  when 
taken  in  the  same  manner ;  but  for  true  sport  the 
rod  should  be  employed,  casting  or  trolling  with 
sardine  or  young  mullet  bait  impaled  on  a  3/0 
O'Shaughnessy  hook. 

The  jack,  Caranx  hippos,  is  a  member  of  the 
family  Carangidcz,  a  near  relative  of  the  mack- 
erels and  pompanoes ;  on  the  Atlantic  coast  alone 
there  are  twenty-five  or  more  species,  many  of 
which  afford  prime  sport  with  the  rod.  The 
only  criticism  one  can  make  concerning  it  is  that 
it  is  not  a  table  fish  of  the  first  rank,  though  in 
the  hands  of  an  expert  chef  the  dark  meat  is  ex- 
cellent. The  hard-tailed  jack,  or  jurel,  Caranx 
pisquetus,  though  not  attaining  the  size  of  the 
former,  is  of  very  similar  habit  and  very  gamy,  its 
swift  movements  making  its  capture  rare  sport 
with  a  light  rod.  Once  while  turning  green 
turtles  on  Loggerhead  Key,  a  school  of  these 
fishes  began  to  beat  alongshore.  I  waded  among 
them  and  threw  out  upon  the  sands  as  many  as 
my  men  required  by  catching  them  by  the  tail,  as 
they  dashed  into  the  almost  solid  mass  of  sardines. 


174  Big  Game  Fishes 

When  seized  they  wriggled,  or  quivered,  so  con- 
vulsively that  they  imparted  a  series  of  seeming 
electric  shocks  felt  as  high  as  my  elbows,  and 
curiously  enough  some  of  the  boatmen  believed 
that  this  jack  was  an  electric  fish.  I  have  noticed 
the  same  effect  when  holding  a  bonito  firmly  by 
the  tail,  and  a  dying  tuna  will  sometimes  impart 
a  tremulous  quivering  motion  to  a  small  boat. 

The  jacks  add  greatly  to  the  pleasure  of  an- 
glers along  the  coast  of  Florida,  especially  in  the 
Indian  River  country,  down  by  Biscayne  Bay  and 
up  the  west  coast,  where  they  are  easily  caught, 
and  at  Aransas  Pass,  Texas,  though  I  failed  to 
take  them  at  this  interesting  fishing  ground.  It 
is  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  game  fishes;  and  at 
other  localities  in  the  Gulf  states,  its  valiant  habit 
commends  itself  to  the  man  with  the  rod. 


CHAPTER    XII 

THE  CALIFORNIA  SHEEPSHEAD 

"  Out  in  the  golden  sunshine, 
Throw  we  the  net  and  line. 
The  silvery  lines  to-day 
Flash  in  the  silvery  spray. 
So  throw  the  line,  throw-yo,  heave-ho  ! " 

—  MERIVALE.     The  Fisherman's  Song. 

THE  region  represented  on  the  map  by  South- 
ern California  and  its  contiguous  high  seas  is 
supposed  by  many  to  be  a  land  of  perennial  sum- 
mer, and  to  a  certain  extent  this  is  true.  The 
summer  alongshore  is  a  comfortable  season, 
cooler  than  that  of  any  Atlantic  state ;  the  winter 
a  cooler  summer,  when  the  mercury  drops  into 
the  roaring  thirties  and  wild  flowers  insist  upon 
coming  into  bloom.  It  is  not  a  real  winter,  yet 
certain  fishes,  creatures  of  habit,  insist  upon  their 
prerogative  and  make  this  floral,  verdant  winter 
an  excuse  for  following  the  ancient  and  honored 
custom  of  their  confreres  in  other  and  colder  seas; 
in  a  word,  they  migrate. 


176  Big  Game  Fishes 

One  could  tell  by  the  first  glance  at  the  sheeps- 
head  that  it  could  not  by  any  flight  of  the  imagi- 
nation be  included  in  this  class ;  that  enormous 
white  protruding  under-jaw,  the  very  archetype 
of  determination  and  obstinacy,  tells  the  story. 
The  sheepshead  remains  winter  and  summer. 
True,  it  may  move  out  a  few  fathoms  in  February 
or  the  preceding  month,  but  it  can  be  caught  any 
day  in  the  year  from  San  Diego  to  Santa  Barbara 
by  boatmen  who  know  the  ways  and  haunts  of 
fishes.  In  general  appearance  the  adult  sheeps- 
head is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  fishes,  due 
to  its  enormous  hump,  or  forehead,  formed  by  a 
fleshy  pad,  which  gives  it  a  most  pugnacious  ap- 
pearance, the  fish  resembling  an  animated  batter- 
ing-ram. The  body  is  deep,  the  tail  powerful, 
the  pectoral  fins  ample ;  and  in  swimming  the 
sheepshead  uses  them  more  than  any  fish  that 
I  recall  except  some  of  the  kelp,  and  parrot-fishes. 
Its  coloring  is  as  remarkable  as  its  shape.  The 
head  of  the  adult  male,  its  dorsal  and  anal  fins, 
the  tail  and  the  back  part  of  the  body  are  jet, 
often  blue  black  resembling  velvet,  the  remainder 
of  the  body  brown,  almost  white  or  a  deep  crim- 
son, the  latter  being  the  most  prevailing  color, 
indicating  a  perfect  physical  condition.  In  con- 


The  California  Sheepsbead  177 

finement  I    found    that   the    rich   crimson    band 
faded  in  a  few  days. 

The  coloring  of  this  remarkable  fish  is  so  ar- 
ranged that  it  appears  to  have  three  large  distinct 
bands ;  the  head  black,  the  mid-body  crimson,  the 
caudal  portion  black.  In  old  males  the  under- 
jaw  becomes  very  prominent  and  is  pure  white. 
The  fish  has  an  enormous  mouth,  recalling  that 
of  the  hogfish,  which  is  armed  with  canine  teeth 
so  prominent  that  they  give  it  a  most  ferocious 
appearance.  The  eye  is  small  yet  richly  colored, 
and  while  lost  in  the  enormous  head,  is  an  inter- 
esting organ  giving  character  to  the  fish,  due, 
perhaps,  to  its  unusual  power  of  motion.  Thus  a 
large  sheepshead,  which  I  kept  in  confinement, 
would  follow  me  around  as  I  walked  by  its  tank, 
begging  to  be  fed,  poising  and  holding  itself  in 
position  by  delicate  and  dexterous  motions  of  its 
side-fins.  It  would  follow  every  movement  with 
its  eyes,  tipping  and  turning  about  to  an  extraor- 
dinary extent.  This  fish  became  very  tame,  and 
with  it  I  kept  others  of  both  sexes  and  all  sizes, 
which  were  so  varied  in  color  and  marking  that 
they  would  be  easily  considered  different  fishes  by 
those  not  familiar  with  them.  The  females  were 
normally  a  dusky  red  or  rose  color  all  over ;  some 


1 78  Big  Game  Fishes 

almost  white ;  the  very  young  maroon  barred  with 
black. 

Owing  to  this  diversity  of  colors  the  fish  is 
known  by  various  names  along  the  coast  —  the 
fathead,  or  redfish,  being  the  most  familiar;  but 
at  the  islands,  where  it  is  taken  with  a  rod  as  a 
game  fish,  it  is  known  as  the  sheepshead,  and  to 
science  as  Pimelometopon  pulcher  (Ayres).  The 
average  fish  ranges  from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds, 
but  I  have  seen  large  males  which  would  weigh 
twenty  or  twenty-five  pounds.  The  sheepshead 
spawns  at  the  islands  in  June  or  July,  depositing 
its  eggs  in  the  kelp  beds  near  shore ;  and  these 
ocean  forests  are  its  home,  where,  amid  the  most 
aesthetic  surroundings,  it  poises  in  company  with 
the  colossal  black  sea-bass.  The  islands  of 
Southern  California  and  much  of  the  mainland 
coast  have  this  border  of  kelp,  which  is  a  fishes' 
highway,  —  a  maze  of  vines  (macrocystis)  of 
enormous  length,  whose  leaves,  long,  broad,  and 
richly  tinted  in  olive-green,  rise  from  great  depths 
and  sway  in  the  current,  or  at  ebb  tide  lie  along 
the  surface,  their  fluted  edges  fluttering  in  the 
soft  wind,  often  waving  slightly  above  it. 

This  submarine  forest  is  the  salvation  of  the 
fishes.  It  forms  an  effective  breakwater,  without 


Tbe  California  Sbeepsbead  179 

which  many  would  be  unable  to  live,  owing  to 
the  surf,  which  would  otherwise  roll  in  strong 
and  pitiless.  On  the  South  American  coast  the 
kelp  attains  a  length  of  nearly  four  hundred  feet, 
and  without  its  protection  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
life  on  shore  would  be  difficult  to  sustain.  The 
kelp  in  rising  upward  forms  halls,  parterres,  and 
colonnades  through  which  the  sun  projects  its 
rays,  bringing  out  their  many  beauties,  as  each 
leaf  is  a  study  in  itself,  abounding  in  varied  forms 
which  constitute  the  food  of  certain  fishes. 
White  lacelike  corallines  cover  them ;  crabs  and 
shells,  which  mimic  them  in  color,  crawl  along 
their  stems,  and  delicate  hydroids  in  many  forms 
and  shapes  add  to  their  beauties.  The  water  is 
so  deep  along  this  highway  of  the  sheepshead  that 
blue  water  is  seen  through  its  interstices  bringing 
out  the  leaves  and  stems  in  strong  relief.  In  the 
watery  atmosphere  float  countless  living  gems  — 
the  Sapphirina  —  a  minute  crustacean,  which 
vies  with  actual  gems  in  its  beauty.  Some  are 
like  diamonds;  others  are  yellow,  blue,  red,  or 
crimson ;  and  so  rich  and  plentiful  are  they  that, 
peering  down,  one  might  believe  that  some  lavish 
Midas  had  sprinkled  the  water  with  jewels.  Here 
float  gorgeous  jellyfishes,  some  with  tentacles 


i8o  Big  Came  Fishes 

thirty  feet  or  more  long,  tinted  a  deep  lavender; 
others  are  crystal  chalices,  or  chains  of  dainty 
design.  If  the  scene  along  this  forest  is  fasci- 
nating by  day,  what  can  be  said  at  night,  when 
myriads  of  lights  appear.  Every  point  and  form 
then  becomes  a  living  light,  while  the  water  itself 
blazes  out  in  silver  radiance. 

Such  is  the  home  of  the  sheepshead,  the  sly, 
cunning,  jocular  denizen  of  every  ocean  hedge 
and  byway  from  San  Diego  and  beyond  to  San 
Clemente,  Santa  Catalina,  the  islands  of  Santa 
Barbara  on  to  Point  Concepcion,  which  appears 
to  be  its  northern  limit.  At  the  island  of  San 
Clemente  it  is  particularly  plentiful,  the  many 
caves  lined  with  kelp  affording  it  retreats  to  its 
choice.  Looking  down  through  the  openings  of 
the  kelp,  following  some  vagrant  sunbeam,  I  have 
seen  dozens  of  these  poseurs  and  watched  them, 
unsuspected.  They  were  always  deliberate  in 
their  movements,  sailing  in  and  out  of  the  vari- 
ous halls  formed  by  the  kelp,  accompanied  by  the 
dazzling  golden  angel-fish ;  now  standing  on 
their  heads  to  pick  up  some  object  on  the  bottom, 
or  darting  down  to  rub  themselves  upon  a  moss- 
covered  rock.  I  recall  one  huge  fellow  at  this 
place  which  moved  sedately  about,  proudly  drag- 


The  California  Sbeepsbead  181 

ging  three  feet  of  what  appeared  to  be  a  cod-line, 
the  hook  plainly  visible  against  its  white  jaw. 

At  such  localities  the  angler  tarries  to  try  con- 
clusions with  this  doughty  fish.  The  boat  is 
anchored  within  the  kelp,  one  of  the  leaves  being 
hauled  aboard  as  an  anchor.  The  rods  are  taken 
out,  put  together,  and  the  question  of  bait  remains 
to  be  decided.  When  the  fish  is  in  the  biting 
humor,  sardines  are  readily  taken,  but  when  it  is 
coy,  crayfish,  the  long-whipped  crustacean,  which 
takes  the  place  of  the  lobster  in  California  and 
the  tropics,  is  selected.  But  the  sheepshead  is 
no  clumsy  game,  to  be  caught  even  on  selected 
bait.  At  times  it  scorns  anything;  but  it  hap- 
pens that  to-day  the  fish  is  in  the  biting  humor, 
and  no  sooner  has  the  bait  reached  the  bottom 
in  twenty  feet  of  water  than  it  is  taken.  A  good 
honest  strike  this.  No  nibbler  to  peck  at  the 
bait  and  examine  it,  like  a  customhouse  officer, 
for  hidden  fish-hooks,  but  a  strong,  steady  jerk  to 
which  you  respond  with  as  heavy  a  hand  as  the 
exigencies  of  the  situation  and  the  hard  jaw  of 
the  fish  require.  There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the 
result ;  the  fish  is  hooked,  the  water  hisses  before 
the  line,  the  reel  sings  merrily,  and  the  fight  is 
on,  with  a  royal  foeman  that  tugs,  rushes,  plunges, 


1 82  Big  Game  Fishes 

hammers,  and  sulks,  all  in  such  rapid  succession 
that  the  novice  is  fairly  puzzled,  recognizing  the 
tokens  of  several  fishes.  With  difficulty  the  fish 
is  kept  out  of  the  kelp,  but  finally  it  rushes  along 
the  bottom,  making  for  open  water,  and  you  have 
a  clear  field  in  which  to  play  your  strength 
against  a  very  clever  fish  that  shortly  demon- 
strates its  game  qualities  by  taking  the  line  in 
long  and  continued  bursts  of  speed,  which  test 
rod,  line,  and  the  finesse  of  the  angler,  who  wins 
only  by  careful  work  with  the  reel  and  thumb 
brake. 

Finally,  after  having  been  repeatedly  stopped, 
the  fish  begins  to  come  in  on  the  reel,  fighting 
every  step,  taking  long  lateral  runs  to  dash 
alongside  with  an  impetuosity  that  so  demoralizes 
your  amateur  gaffer  that  he  misses,  and  so  the 
fish  has  to  be  turned  again.  This  time  it  is  on 
the  surface,  its  great  bands  of  jet  and  red,  its 
enormous  head  and  white  underjaw,  making  it  an 
extraordinary  object.  It  lies  for  a  moment  flap- 
ping its  big  pectorals  and  rolling  its  comical  red- 
rimmed  eyes  at  you  out  of  a  sea  of  black  —  an 
appeal  for  mercy  that  is  sometimes  heeded  by 
certain  anglers  who  flatter  themselves  that  they 
understand  the  language  of  fishes.  Fishing  in 


Tbe  California  Sheepsbead  183 

this  manner  on  the  west  side  of  Santa  Catalina 
and  at  San  Clemente,  I  have  known  these  fishes 
to  bite  so  rapidly  that  they  took  the  bait  as  soon 
as  it  reached  the  bottom.  It  would  have  been 
a  piscatorial  bonanza  for  a  professional  fisherman, 
as  he  could  literally  have  filled  his  boat  with 
sheepshead  of  the  largest  size.  So  much  for 
taking  this  fish  with  a  light  rod  where  it  has  a 
fighting  chance.  If  the  fisherman  really  enjoys 
hand-line  fishing,  it  can  be  had  all  alongshore. 

The  sheepshead  is  a  valuable  food-fish  in 
California,  many  thousand  pounds  being  dried  or 
salted  annually  ;  but  for  domestic  consumption  it 
would  be  classed  as  a  "  chowder  "  fish,  and  is 
excellent  for  the  purpose.  While  its  praises 
probably  have  never  been  sung  before,  I  com- 
mend it  to  the  angler,  confident  that  when  taken 
with  a  fairly  light  bending  rod  and  a  number 
fifteen  or  eighteen  cuttyhunk  line  it  will  repay 
the  expert  in  the  gentle  art  of  angling. 

With  the  sheepshead,  living  in  its  highway,  is 
another  gamy  fish,  the  whitefish,  Caulolatilus 
princeps  (Jenyns),  which  attains  a  maximum 
weight  of  twenty  pounds,  that  has  afforded  me 
such  sport  that  I  may  refer  to  it.  Small  or 
medium-sized  specimens  may  be  caught  almost 


1 84  Big  Game  Fishes 

anywhere  alongshore,  away  from  sandy  beaches, 
and  at  rocky  points,  but  the  largest  I  have  found 
after  fishing  at  nearly  all  the  islands  were  at  the 
government  island  of  San  Clemente,  about  fifty 
miles  from  San  Pedro,  or  opposite  San  Juan 
Capistrano.  During  a  yachting  trip  around  this 
island  we  anchored  on  the  lee  or  east  side  where 
there  was  a  rapid  current,  and  in  this  I  amused 
myself  one  morning  casting  for  yellowtails.  In- 
stead of  the  latter,  quantities  of  whitefish  rose 
and  began  to  follow  the  bait.  At  a  distance  they 
resembled  and  acted  not  unlike  pollock,  and 
taking  a  ten-ounce  split  bamboo  rod,  and  using 
crayfish  (spiny  lobster)  bait,  I  was  soon  partici- 
pating in  sport  well  worthy  the  name.  The  swift 
current  carried  the  bait  astern,  and  as  it  drifted 
twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  there  was  a  struggle  for 
it  by  scores  of  whitefish  of  large  size,  their  at- 
tractive drab  colors,  with  dashes  of  blue  and 
yellow,  flashing  in  the  sunlight  as  they  played 
upon  the  surface.  When  hooked  they  rushed 
away  with  force  and  vigor  that  tested  the  light 
tackle  to  its  utmost,  and  as  the  sport  grew  fast 
and  furious,  and  several  anglers  joined,  the  snap- 
ping of  the  delicate  lines  began.  Some  of  the 
largest  fish  made  a  determined  battle,  and  an  old 


The  California  Sheepsbead  185 

trout  fisherman  of  the  party  remarked  that  they 
equalled  in  game  qualities  any  of  these  fishes  he 
had  ever  taken.  Ten  or  more  minutes  would  be 
occupied  in  landing  a  fish,  and  with  trout  tackle 
it  would  have  taken  a  much  longer  time  to  bring 
the  largest  to  gaff  or  net. 

The  whitefish  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  of 
the  California  food-fishes,  and  one  of  the  most 
attractive,  in  its  demure  coat  of  gray,  drab,  or 
olive.  It  is  not  a  migrant,  being  found  about  the 
islands  from  the  Coronados  north  at  all  times. 
The  attention  paid  to  angling  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia is  well  illustrated  at  certain  points,  as 
Coronado  Beach,  Long  Beach,  Terminal,  and 
Santa  Monica,  where  long  piers  have  been  built 
out  into  the  surf,  upon  which  anglers  who  are 
satisfied  with  small  fry  can  indulge  in  the  pastime. 
Here  the  mackerel,  halibut,  and  various  kinds  of 
surf  fishes,  Embiotocidce,  are  taken,  which,  if  it 
were  possible  to  fish  for  with  trout-rods,  would 
afford  fine  sport,  as  the  fish  weigh  from  one  to 
five  or  six  pounds,  and  are  gamy ;  but  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  case  require  stiff  rods,  and  the  long 
bamboo  pole  is  chiefly  used,  as  by  it  the  fish  can 
be  lifted  to  the  high  piers.  Large  fish,  if  hooked, 
are  led  ashore  and  hauled  upon  the  beach.  The 


1 86  Big  Game  Fishes 

"  surf  "  of  these  localities  is  particularly  interest- 
ing from  the  fact  that  the  young  are  born  alive. 
I  have  kept  the  parents  of  the  species  known  as 
shiners,  Abeona  minima,  in  a  tank,  where  the 
young  were  born.  The  latter  immediately 
"schooled,"  and  formed  interesting  pets.  They 
fed  from  my  hand  with  avidity,  displaying  no 
fear,  —  the  entire  school  following  me  as  I  moved 
around  the  tank,  watching  every  movement  with 
lively  interest.  The  young  were  an  inch  and  a 
quarter  in  length  at  birth,  and  were  at  once  able 
to  care  for  themselves,  the  parents  paying  no 
attention  to  them.  As  their  name  suggests,  they 
are  found  in  the  surf,  feeding  upon  the  various 
crustaceans  which  burrow  in  the  sand. 

A  gamy  fish,  for  a  black-bass  rod  and  the 
lightest  line,  is  the  rock-bass  and  its  many  species 
of  California  waters.  I  have  taken  them  up  to 
ten  pounds  and  found  them  gamy;  but  light 
tackle  is  a  desideratum,  as  while  they  are  modelled 
after  the  shape  of  the  black  bass  they  have  not 
the  staying  qualities  of  this  fish.  There  are  many 
species,  all  found  at  rocky  points,  lying  in  the 
weed  simulating  more  or  less  the  general  tone  of 
the  bottom. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE  CHANNEL-BASS 

"  The  blessing  of  St.  Peter's,  master,  be  upon  all  that  hate 
contentions,  and  love  quietnesse,  and  virtue,  and  go  a-angling." 

—  IZAAK  WALTON. 

INNES   RANDOLPH  has  described   the  channel- 
bass  or  red-drum  in  verse  :  — 

"  Long  as  a  salmon,  if  not  so  stout, 
And  springy  and  swift  as  a  mountain  trout." 

Any  one  who  has  taken  the  fish  will  recognize 
the  faithfulness  of  the  picture.  The  poet  is  too 
modest;  the  fish  is  often  longer  than  a  salmon, 
and  far  more  active  than  a  trout.  In  truth,  the 
marine  fishes  have  so  long  been  caught  with 
heavy  hand-lines  that  their  true  game  qualities 
have  never  been  fully  appreciated.  Let  the  trout- 
fly  fisherman  take  a  bonito  of  six  pounds  with  the 
rod  with  which  a  six-pound  trout  has  been  suc- 
cessfully landed,  or  attempt  to  catch  a  seventeen- 
pound  yellowtail  or  kingfish  with  the  correctly 
appointed  salmon  rod,  which  has  taken  salmon  of 
similar  weight,  and  the  relative  qualities  of  the 

187 


1 88  Big  Game  Fishes 

i 

two  will  at  once  be  apparent.  To  land  a  twenty- 
pound  yellowtail  with  a  long  salmon  rod  would 
be  a  matter  of  hours,  at  least  such  was  the  opinion 
confided  to  me  by  an  old  fisherman  after  a  day's 
yellowtail  fishing  in  California.  Laymen  are 
prone  to  scoff  at  the  technical  names  of  fishes. 
They  care  little  that  the  channel-bass  is  of  the 
genus  Scicznops,  and  that  it  is  known  among  all 
nations  as  Scicznops  ocellatus,  the  latter  term 
referring  to  the  spots  near  the  tail.  The  actual 
necessity  of  this  common  language  name  is 
emphasized  in  this  fish,  which  has  so  many  titles, 
local  names  from  Virginia  to  Texas,  that  the 
would-be  historian  of  the  fish  is  amazed,  and  the 
travelling  angler  more  so.  Where  I  caught 
the  fish  at  the  mouth  of  the  James  River,  the 
dug-out  fishermen,  who  cruised  around  the  oyster 
beds  in  their  rakish  crafts,  called  the  fish  the 
drum,  and  I  at  first  supposed  they  meant  the  big 
drum,  the  bass  drummer  of  the  finny  tribe. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Marys,  Georgia,  my 
boatman,  who  was  a  city  father  of  a  neighboring 
commonwealth,  took  me  "  red-bass  "  fishing.  The 
boy  who  collected  fiddlers  for  me  in  the  swamp 
on  the  way  to  Fort  Marion,  Florida,  confided  to 
me  the  best  "  spotted-bass  "  fishing-ground  in  the 


RED  DRUM;   REDFISH ;    "CHANNEL-BASS 
Scicenops  ocellatus  (Linnaeus) 


Rig  for  Grouper,  Red  Snapper,  etc. ;    fishing-hook  above  the  sinker 


The  Channel- bass  189 

vicinity.  When  I  reached  the  St.  Johns  and  cast 
my  luck  among  the  genial  pilots  of  Pilottown  and 
the  shadmen  of  Mayport,  I  was  told  that  in  the 
mouth  of  the  river  I  would  find  the  finest  channel- 
bass  fishing  in  America.  This  was  bewildering, 
but  the  end  was  not,  as  on  a  trip  to  Jacksonville 

I  met  an  old  friend,  N ,  who  had  advised  me 

by  all  means  to  take  a  run  down  through  the 
Indian  River  country  to  catch  "red-horse." 
Another  friend  who  lived  at  Tampa  invited  me 
to  go  over  and  try  the  "  reef -bass."  While  talk- 
ing over  the  fishing  outlook  with  an  angler  in 
New  Orleans,  he  asked  why  I  did  not  take  a  run 
to  the  coast  and  try  the  Poisson  rouge  ;  while 
at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  I  was  regaled  with  stories 
of  the  big  Fez  Colorado  to  be  had  down  at 
Aransas  Pass  and  all  alongshore.  What  a  diver- 
sity, what  a  plethora,  of  sport  these  titles  open 
up  to  the  mental  vision  of  the  insatiate  angler! 
Yet  everywhere  I  found  the  same  fish  was  meant ; 
namely,  Scicznops  ocellatus.  It  will  come  to 
this:  — 

SCENE,  INDIAN  RIVER.     ANGLERS  PASSING 

First  Angler.    What  luck  ? 

Second  Angler  (a  better  fisherman  than  grammarian).     Fine. 
Ten  Scmnops  ocellatus.  ^Boatman  faints. 


1 90  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  question  what  to  term  this  fish  may  be 
argued  elsewhere.  I  am  going  to  call  it  the 
channel-bass,  first,  because  this  name  appears  not 
to  be  applied  to  other  fish,  and  secondly,  I  have 
noticed  that  the  majority  of  anglers  and  sports- 
men prefer  and  use  the  term,  which  is  the  very 
best  of  reasons.  In  casting  over  in  my  mind  the 
best  channel-bass  fishing  I  have  enjoyed,  the  St. 
Marys  and  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns  rivers 
and  the  beach  out  from  Pilottown,  Florida,  crowd 
and  elbow  to  the  front.  The  mouth  of  the  river 
is  an  interesting  place,  especially  at  Mayport, 
where  the  sand-dunes  at  the  time  of  my  last  visit 
were  migrating,  and  one  fisherman's  house  was 
almost  completely  covered.  In  the  morning  the 
housewives  would  be  seen  sweeping  out  the  sand 
from  the  walk  as  they  would  snow.  Some  of  the 
buildings  were  on  stilts,  and  it  was  almost  neces- 
sary to  take  a  running  jump  to  reach  the  door  of 
one  hostlery.  The  boatmen,  Americans  and 
some  Minorcans,  and  their  descendants,  were 
nearly  all  in  the  shad  business,  and  many  fished 
the  mouth  of  the  river  habitually.  The  water 
over  the  bar  was  often  very  shallow,  so  that 
schooners  laden  with  lumber  were  sometimes 
obliged  to  wait  for  a  combination  of  high  tides 


The  Channel-bass  191 

and  an  east  wind  to  blow  the  water  in  and  up ; 
so  shallow  was  it  at  low  tide  that  I  saw  a  gigantic 
sunfish  ground  as  it  wandered  in,  its  struggles 
attracting  so  much  attention  that  it  was  ulti- 
mately caught.  This  shallow  water  created  a 
heavy  sea,  or  rip,  which  was  more  or  less  uncom- 
fortable at  times;  but  by  anchoring  on  the  edge 
of  the  channel,  and  fishing  at  the  slack  tide,  much 
sport  was  enjoyed,  while,  up  the  river,  in  smooth 
water,  there  was  an  excellent  "  channel-bass 
ground,"  very  popular  with  the  anglers  who  came 
through  from  Fernandina  in  boats  or  from  up  the 
river.  So  fierce  was  the  tide  that  almost  every 
one  used  hand-lines  and  sinkers,  and  even  then 
the  latter  would  often  apparently  rise  to  the  sur- 
face ;  but  at  slack  water  I  fished  with  my '  rod, 
which  was  about  eight  feet  long,  of  greenheart, 
weighing  twenty-four  ounces ;  the  line,  a  number 
twelve  cuttyhunk,  tested  to  pull  twenty-two 
pounds,  and  hook  about  the  size  of  a  7/0  Lim- 
erick, though  the  boatmen  used  something  much 
larger.  The  bait  was  mullet  and  crab. 

We  started  in  at  the  ebb,  and  anchored  in  a 
place  selected.  In  a  short  time  the  tide,  rushing 
against  the  incoming  sea,  created  a  singular  rip, 
unpleasant  to  look  upon,  which  seemed  to  merge 


192  Big  Game  Fishes 

into  a  heavy-breaking  sea  farther  out.  We  picked 
up  a  few  small  bass  by  casting  up-stream,  using 
pipe-sinkers,  but  in  a  marvellously  short  space  of 
time  the  bait  and  sinker  would  pass  the  boat  and 
lie  at  the  surface.  Several  sharks  followed  up 
the  mullet  trail  and  afforded  some  sport.  The 
shad  fisherman,  who  had  never  seen  a  five-foot 
shark  killed  with  a  line  of  that  size,  confidentially 
informed  me  that  "  he'd  have  been  dogged  ef  he'd 
'a'  b'l'eved  it,  ef  he  hadn't  seen  it." 

Gradually  the  current  slackened,  and  then  sud- 
denly my  reel  gave  tongue,  and  in  a  few  seconds 
I  was  engaged  in  sport  that  was  sufficiently  excit- 
ing to  satisfy  the  most  exacting  angler.  Out  into 
the  midstream  the  fish  went  in  a  splendid  run, 
having  all  its  own  way,  the  tackle  being  too  light 
for  any  immediate  protest,  and  it  was  two  hundred 
feet  distant  before  the  thumb  brake  began  its 
deadly  work  and  I  turned  it.  Then  it  shot  across 
the  water  in  the  opposite  direction,  never  slacking 
or  giving  up.  Now  the  reel  would  gain  twenty  or 
thirty  feet,  and  the  gamy  fish  would  spring  forward 
and  turn  downward,  sounding  with  an  impetuosity 
that  was  irresistible,  making  everything  hum  with 
the  soul-stirring  zip-zip-zip !  of  the  reel,  which  so 
truly  echoes  the  exact  movement  of  the  stricken 


The  Channel-bass  193 

fish.  The  gamy  creature  would  have  joined 
forces  with  the  current  and  towed  us  out  to  sea 
but  for  the  strenuous  efforts  of  the  boatman ;  and 
so,  ever  fighting,  making  a  brave  show  of  resist- 
ance, the  fish  came  in,  cutting  the  water  with 
splendid  side  rushes,  growing  shorter  and  shorter 
until  I  had  it  on  the  quarter,  its  burnished  sides 
flashing  in  the  sunlight,  and  as  it  turned  and  lay 
upon  the  surface,  I  saw  why  some  call  it  the  red- 
drum,  as  a  red  golden  iridescence  caught  my  eye 
as  though  for  a  second  the  fish  had  blushed.  I 
passed  it  forward  to  the  mercies  of  the  gaffer,  who, 
with  a  clean-cut  lift  landed  and  held  it  up  for  my 
inspection.  It  was  a  most  attractive  fish,  weighing 
between  thirty  and  thirty-five  pounds,  which  had 
engaged  our  attention  —  a  minute  per  pound, 
according  to  the  boatman. 

The  channel-bass  bears  a  strong  resemblance 
to  the  California  roncador.  The  body  is  long 
and  well  proportioned ;  the  back  perfectly  arched 
from  the  tip  of  the  nose  to  the  base  of  the  tail ; 
the  nose  blunt,  mouth  opening  parallel  to  the 
ventral  line  or  bottom  of  the  fish.  The  head  is 
long ;  eye  small ;  dorsal  fins  low,  the  second  dor- 
sal being  long  and  beautiful.  The  tail  explains 
the  gamy  nature  of  the  bass,  being  a  large  and 


i94  Big  Game  Fishes 

powerful  organ.  The  color  of  the  fish  is  pro- 
nounced bronze  above,  silver  and  grayish  below; 
over  all  a  reddish  iridescence,  caught  when  the 
fish  is  seen  at  an  angle,  making  it  a  resplendent 
creature  immediately  after  the  catch.  At  the 
base  of  the  tail  is  a  single  black  spot,  about  as 
large  as  the  eye.  On  some  fishes  there  were 
several  of  them,  and  I  noticed  that  some  of  the 
negroes  called  the  fish  "  two  eye  "  for  this  reason. 
In  the  South  the  St.  Johns  is  one  of  the  best 
localities  for  channel-bass,  though  I  have  had 
excellent  sport  at  Fernandina  near  Fort  Marion. 
It  is  found  in  the  deeper  portions  of  the  channel, 
and  I  took  large  specimens  later  from  the  beach 
on  the  Pilottown  side,  where  the  water  is  deep 
near  shore.  This  locality  was  equally  famous  for 
large  sharks,  strikes  from  this  game  being  about 
two  to  one  of  channel-bass.  One  hooked  with  a 
heavy  shark  line,  which  I  had  made  fast  to  a 
heavy  log,  carried  the  latter  down  the  beach  and 
nearly  dragged  me  into  deep  water,  a  lucky  chance 
changing  the  programme.  In  a  word,  sharks 
are  to  be  expected  here.  On  the  St.  Johns  the 
channel-bass  appears  with  some  regularity  in 
June,  and  in  this  month,  and  in  July,  the  angler 
may  expect  large  specimens  running  up  to  fifty 


The  Channel-bass  195 

or  sixty  pounds,  —  the  fish  attaining,  if  current 
report  can  be  relied  upon,  seventy-five  or  eighty 
pounds.  The  largest  I  have  seen  weighed  sixty 
pounds.  In  August  and  September,  in  the  St. 
Johns,  the  fishermen  expect  a  second  run  of 
smaller  fish ;  and  the  sport  is  good  until  Novem- 
ber. Anglers  are  told  that  they  can  be  caught 
later.  Possibly  individuals  have  been,  but  I  have 
religiously  fished  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  Janu- 
ary and  did  not  take  a  channel-bass.  My  boat- 
man insisted  that  they  were  there,  and  intimated 
that  they  had  been  taken,  so  I  concluded  that 
while  luck  was  with  me  in  the  summer  I  was  a 
poor  off-season  fisherman.  The  average-sized 
fish  taken  in  the  rivers  of  Florida  is  from  twenty- 
five  to  thirty  pounds,  and  there  is  a  remarkable 
difference  in  size  and  tastes  in  different  localities. 
I  tried  several  "  spinners  "  in  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Marys,  but  did  not  have  a  strike  ;  yet  on  the  Indian 
River  I  understand,  on  the  excellent  authority  of 
Dr.  Kenworthy,  the  dean  of  the  angling  frater- 
nity of  the  South,  that  this  method  has  been 
very  successful.  I  have  seen  a  yellowtail  hooked 
with  a  tooth-brush  handle  metamorphosed  into 
a  jig;  yet  this  fish  refuses  a  spinner.  There  is 
no  accounting  for  tastes  even  among  fishes. 


196  Big  Game  Fishes 

Surf  fishing  for  channel-bass  is  an  exciting 
sport.  One  morning  in  riding  down  the  long 
and  beautiful  beach  of  Amelia  Island,  Florida, 
which  was  seemingly  covered  with  snipe  and 
plover  which  rose  into  the  air  in  silvery  clouds  as 
I  galloped  along,  I  came  upon  a  group  of  anglers 
who  had  a  tent  in  the  brush  and  were  fishing  for 
channel-bass.  The  wind  was  offshore,  the  surf 
low  at  the  point  they  had  selected,  and  they 
waded  out  from  shore  at  low  tide,  and  with  heavy 
cast-lines  and  sinker  tossed  their  bait  far  out  into 
what  appeared  to  be  a  school  of  channel-bass, 
which  made  so  gamy  a  struggle  that  more  than 
once  two  men  seized  a  line  and  with  shouts  of 
victory  ran  plunging  over  the  waves  up  the  sands. 
Doubtless  the  heavy  normal  surf  here  would  not 
permit  it,  but  if  an  iron  pier  could  be  run  out 
over  the  breakers,  the  rod  fisherman  would  have 
some  remarkable  sport.  The  admirer  of  this  fish 
will  find  it  almost  everywhere  along  the  Indian 
River,  but  I  never  saw  it  on  the  reef  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Key  West,  or  farther  west.  It  is  reported 
as  abundant  on  the  west  coast  of  Florida  and  in 
the  Gulf  states.  Mr.  Silas  Stearns  states  that 
they  appear  in  this  locality  in  March  and  April. 
They  seem  to  congregate  about  the  mouth  of 


The  Channel-bass  197 

inlets  at  this  time,  sometimes  going  in  at  once, 
again  hovering  around  outside.  They  come  in 
large  schools  which  soon  break  up.  In  October 
and  November  they  leave.  Following  around  the 
Gulf,  we  come  to  what  is  probably  the  greatest 
fishing-ground  for  channel-bass  in  this  country  — 
the  region  around  Galveston  and  Aransas  Pass. 
Here  the  fish  is  omnipresent,  the  best  fishing 
being  from  May  to  November.  This  section  of 
the  country  is  comparatively  little  known  to  the 
angling  fraternity,  but  abounds  in  large  numbers 
of  game  fish  of  many  kinds,  channel-bass  being 
large  and  gamy  and  the  common  fish  of  the 
country. 

I  fished  for  them  here  in  the  inner  bay  of 
Aransas  in  shallow  water,  the  bass  congregating 
in  the  shallow  holes,  taking  shrimp  bait  with 
avidity.  Another  excellent  location  was  on  the 
Gulf  side  of  the  island,  where  one  could  wade 
out  and  cast  for  bass  in  the  surf  with  a  light 
black-bass  rod.  I  had  good  sport  with  small  ones 
up  to  ten  pounds.  It  is  not  necessary  to  go  to 
Florida  or  Texas  for  fine  channel-bass  fishing. 
In  South  Barnegat  Bay,  at  Harvey  Cedars,  some 
of  the  finest  fishing  can  be  had  at  times,  espe- 
cially in  September,  —  the  fish  running  large, 


198  Big  Game  Fishes 

catches  ranging  from  fifteen  to  fifty  pounds. 
The  luck  of  Harvey  Cedars  is  a  trite  saying 
among  the  anglers  who  know  it  well,  and  the  fine 
fishes  taken  here  illustrate  the  singular  fact  that 
there  are  many  famous  fishing  resorts  along  the 
Atlantic  coast  near  New  York  for  some  reason 
not  so  well  known  as  far  inferior  places  many 
miles  distant. 

As  game,  the  channel-bass  recalls  the  striped 
bass.  It  lives  upon  crustaceans,  mollusks,  and 
sea-worms,  and  has  been  seen  to  root  and  tear 
up  the  weeds  in  shallow  water  in  its  search  for 
food.  This  explains  its  presence  along  the  line 
of  surf  in  the  shallow  waters  of  the  great  sandy 
beaches  of  the  coast,  the  home  of  numerous  bur- 
rowing crustaceans.  While  an  oceanic  fish,  it 
enters  rivers,  being  caught  as  far  from  the  sea 
as  Jacksonville  in  the  St.  Johns,  and  according 
to  Dr.  C.  J.  Kenworthy,  in  Crescent  Lake  and 
Lake  George,  Florida,  where  large  fish  are 
taken  with  a  spinner.  As  to  their  spawning 
habits,  Mr.  S.  C.  Clark  states  that  the  channel- 
bass  spawn  in  the  Indian  River,  Florida,  in 
August  and  September,  the  young  fish  being 
found  there  at  all  times.  The  adults  appear 
at  the  inlets  of  Florida  in  January  and  Feb- 


Tbe  Channel-bass  199 

ruary,  and  remain  until  August,  spawning  there 
in  the  shallow  bays,  leaving  or  going  to  sea  in 
October.  Dr.  Jordan  reports  young  measuring 
two  and  a  half  inches  at  Pensacola  in  April. 
This  gives  the  Indian  River  region  a  channel- 
bass  season,  of  nine  or  ten  months,  about  equiva- 
lent to  that  of  the  yellowtail  of  the  Pacific. 

As  a  food-fish  the  channel-bass  is  of  great 
value,  those  up  to  ten  or  fifteen  pounds  being 
of  excellent  quality,  the  older  and  larger  fish 
better  adapted  to  the  angler,  though  I  have 
eaten  a  large  channel-bass,  seined  on  the  St. 
Johns,  that  was  beyond  criticism.  The  eco- 
nomic value  of  the  channel-bass  can  be  realized 
by  a  glance  at  the  catch  and  returns  of  various 
states.  In  North  Carolina,  in  1888,  140,000  Ibs. 
were  taken,  valued  at  #3800.  South  Carolina 
took  out  50,000  Ibs.,  valued  at  #1600  in  the 
same  time.  Georgia,  20,085  Ibs.,  valued  at  #470. 
Florida,  404,557  Ibs.,  valued  at  $11,000.  Mis- 
sissippi, 140,000  Ibs.,  valued  at  $6000,  and  Texas, 
838,000  Ibs.,  valued  at  $32,761.  From  this  it 
will  be  seen  that  Texas,  where  the  fish  is 
known  as  redfish,  is  the  headquarters  for  chan- 
nel-bass and  offers  an  interesting  and  profitable 
field  for  the  angler. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   ALBACORE 

"Vext  with  the  puny  foe,  the  tunnies  leap, 
Flounce  in  the  stream,  and  toss  the  mantling  deep; 
Ride  over  the  foamy  seas,  with  torture  rave, 
Bound  into  the  air  and  dash  the  smoking  wave." 

—  OPPIAN. 

THE  albacore,  the  long-firmed,  big-eyed  harle- 
quin of  the  Santa  Catalina  and  San  Clemente 
channels,  is  the  understudy  of  the  tuna,  follow- 
ing its  mighty  cousin,  cheek  by  jowl,  in  many 
of  its  cyclonic  rushes  into  the  bays  and  harbors 
of  the  California  islands.  Owing  to  this  habit, 
it  is  often  a  factor  to  be  counted  on  in  tuna 
fishing.  Being  more  active  and  agile,  it  seizes 
the  bait  intended  for  the  tuna,  and  the  unfortu- 
nate angler,  while  surrounded  by  the  big  fish 
of  his  choice,  catches  nothing  but  twenty-five- 
pound  albacores,  which,  while  excellent  sport, 
under  the  peculiar  conditions  becomes  a  deep- 
seated  injury. 

200 


The  Albacore  201 

In  watching  a  school  of  tunas  at  this  time,  the 
albacores  are  seen,  types  of  activity,  rushing 
hither  and  yon,  in  marked  contrast  to  the 
larger  fish,  on  the  alert  to  steal  the  prey  of  the 
tuna  or  pick  up  the  silvery  morsels  which  often 
besprinkle  the  water  after  the  larger  fish  has 
rushed  through  a  school  of  smelt  or  mackerel. 
Like  the  tuna,  the  albacore  is  a  pelagic  fish, 
born  on  the  high  ocean  and  a  rover  in  many 
seas,  at  home  in  mid-ocean,  coming  into  shal- 
low water  and  near  island  shores  in  spring  to 
exercise  its  voracious  appetite  upon  the  small 
fry  of  its  choice  —  herring,  anchovies,  squid, 
smelt,  mackerel,  and  others. 

So  far  as  known  the  Southern  California 
islands  are  the  only  localities  where  the  albacores 
are  caught  with  the  rod ;  the  conditions  being 
particularly  favorable,  the  fish  coming  in  near  the 
rocky  shores  from  the  Coronados  to  San  Miguel 
Island  where  there  is  smooth  water  in  the  lee, 
permitting  the  angler  to  play  them  with  pleasure 
and  comfort.  I  have  hooked  the  albacore  within 
twenty  feet  of  the  rocks,  but  the  favorite  and 
most  popular  trolling-ground  is  half  a  mile  off 
Avalon  Bay,  where  large  schools,  or  many  small 
ones,  are  found,  breaking  the  mirror-like  water 


202  Big  Game  Fishes 

into  foam,  from  May  fifteenth  to  November  or 
December,  the  fall  fishing  possibly  being  the  best. 
At  any  time,  but  especially  in  the  morning,  the 
swift  launches  of  the  boatmen,  with  their  gay 
tuna  and  other  signals  stretched  to  the  breeze, 
may  be  seen  in  the  offing,  the  two  anglers  sitting 
in  the  stern  with  rods  out  on  either  side. 

A  typical  equipment  may  be  described  as 
follows  :  the  rod  of  greenheart,  noibwood,  or  split 
bamboo ;  if  the  two  former,  to  weigh  about 
twenty-six  ounces,  as  the  fish  is  often  a  sulker  and 
has  to  be  "  pumped."  The  rod,  if  the  angler  con- 
sults his  greatest  convenience,  is  a  single  piece ; 
that  is,  a  long  tip  with  a  short  butt,  and  there  are 
two  long  tips  to  such  a  rod,  or  better  still,  three 
—  one  stiff,  for  tuna,  a  second  less  so  for  albacore, 
and  a  third  lighter  yet,  for  yellowtail  and  white- 
sea  bass.  The  rod  has  double  bell  guides  of 
German  silver  that  the  line  can  be  changed  every 
day  so  that  the  rod  will  not  assume  a  chronic 
curve  in  any  given  direction.  The  reel,  which 
should  always  be  lashed  upon  the  rod,  should  be 
of  medium  size,  to  hold  three  hundred  feet  of  wet 
number  fifteen  cuttyhunk  line,  which  is  tested 
to  twenty-eight  pounds,  though  some  anglers  use 
tuna  reels  and  tackle  for  this  sport,  owing  to  the 


The  Albacore  203 

possibility  of  hooking  one  of  these  fishes  at  any 
time.  A  short  phosphor-bronzed  leader  and  an 
8/0  O'Shaughnessy,  a  Van  Vleck,  or  any  similar 
hook  completes  the  equipment.  Trolling  at  full 
speed  the  albacore  can  be  taken  with  a  bone  jig, 
but  there  is  no  pleasure  in  this  for  the  rod  angler, 
as  before  the  engine  can  be  reversed  the  fish 
takes  nearly  all  the  line.  Sardine,  smelt,  or  squid 
are  typical  baits,  but  the  latter  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  obtain,  and  smelt  is  the  common  lure. 
The  hook  is  inserted  in  the  mouth,  brought  out 
at  the  gills,  the  point  turned  and  thrust  into  the 
belly  of  the  bait  near  the  vent;  when  pulled 
straight,  or  "  set,"  it  is  almost  concealed.  The 
mouth  of  the  smelt  is  closed  with  a  wire  fastened 
to  the  shank  of  the  hook,  or  thread  may  be  used, 
and  the  lure  is  complete.  No  sinker  is  employed, 
and  each  leader  or  snell  should  have  two,  if  not 
three,  swivels. 

We  are  now  ready  for  the  sport.  The  launch 
is  sent  slowly  along,  the  speed  being  governed 
by  the  exigencies  of  the  occasion.  The  boatman 
and  gaffer  sees  the  schools  from  afar,  as  the  alba- 
cores  leap  from  the  water  two  or  three  feet,  and 
follows  them  up.  The  strike  comes,  —  a  long, 
sudden,  tremendous  strain  or  jerk,  which  has 


204  Big  Came  Fishes 

been  known  to  take  the  rod  from  the  hands  of 
a  not  over-alert  angler.  There  is  little  need  to 
strike  or  attempt  to  hook  the  fish ;  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten  this  is  accomplished  by  the  albacore 
itself,  as  it  strikes  on  the  run,  with  a  fierce  rush, 
and  does  not  stop,  bearing  away  and  down  as 
it  feels  the  hook,  with  such  irresistible  force  that 
the  angler  is  often  obliged  to  give  and  give,  until 
his  thumb  loses  nearly  all  sensation  by  the  con- 
tinual pressure  upon  the  leather  brake  in  the 
vain  attempt  to  stop  the  fish,  which  plunges  deep 
and  yet  deeper,  sounding  at  times  like  a  very 
whale;  then,  perhaps  maddened  by  the  reel,  it 
sways  and  cuts  the  water  to  right  or  left  and  rises 
far  away  in  so  singular  a  manner  that  the  angler 
fears  that  it  is  being  chased  by  a  shark,  and  so, 
ever  fighting,  ever  bearing  off  with  tremendous 
power  for  its  size,  the  fish  comes  slowly  in,  the 
angler  with  the  butt  of  the  rod  in  the  leather  cap 
between  his  knees  working  his  passage  and  pay- 
ing fare  as  well.  The  multiplier  is  all-powerful, 
and  far  down  in  the  azure  waters  a  flash  of  silver 
is  seen,  circling  broadside  on.  Slowly  it  rises, 
now  showing  a  black  eye  almost  as  large  as  that 
of  a  plesiosaurus  in  its  adolescence.  At  this  stage 
it  is  well  to  count  on  a  stupendous  rush,  as  the 


The  Albaoore  205 

silvery  game,  at  the  apparition  of  the  boat,  makes 
one  of  a  series  of  final  charges,  any  one  of  which 
might  shatter  the  rod,  or  break  the  line  if  it  was 
checked.  The  click  gives  tongue  loudly  with 
its  short,  quick  ze-e-eing,  u  stabs  the  air  with  its 
shrill  alarm,"  and  again  the  reel  moves  and  the 
fish  comes  in.  This  is  repeated  several  times 
during  the  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes'  contest,  and 
presently  the  angler  sees  the  game  at  the  surface, 
still  full  of  fight,  a  finny  fury.  Bending  the  tip 
forward  he  passes  it  into  the  field  of  the  gaffer, 
who  ends  the  game  by  his  clever  movement  be- 
neath its  silvery  throat. 

The  strength  of  the  albacore  can  be  appreci- 
ated by  the  terrific  tattoo  which  it  now  plays 
upon  the  canvas-covered  planking  of  the  boat, 
which,  if  small,  it  shakes  from  stem  to  stern. 
The  boatman  gives  the  fish  its  quietus  and  holds 
it  up  by  the  measuring  scales,  with  his  "  Twenty- 
five  pounds,  sir !  "  And  this  is  what  we  see : 
a  plump,  compact  tuna,  all  but  the  long  side  or 
pectoral  fins ;  about  three  feet  in  length,  the  muz- 
zle sharper,  the  eyes  larger,  almost  the  same 
spikelike  second  dorsal  and  anal ;  a  remarkable 
thickness  and  compactness  in  proportion  to  its 
length,  and  one  would  invariably  "  guess  "  under 


2o6  Big  Game  Fishes 

its  actual  weight;  the  tail  is  strongly  forked, 
keeled,  and  here  are  the  finlets  of  the  tuna,  seven 
or  eight  in  number.  Trim  the  side  fins,  and  the 
average  observer  not  skilled  in  fish  lore  would 
announce  it  a  tuna  ;  but  these  remarkable  fins  dis- 
tinguish it  from  all  other  fishes.  Each  pectoral  fin 
is  nearly  half  the  length  of  the  entire  body,  or  to 
be  exact,  two-fifths  its  length,  shaped  like  daggers, 
with  a  slight  curve  downward;  the  fins  are  very 
narrow  and  in  every  instance  observed  by  me 
were  held  close  to  the  sides  of  the  fish  when 
swimming,  the  real  locomotive  organ  being  the 
tail,  a  "  screw  "  of  tremendous  power.  Doubtless 
the  long  pectorals  have  more  to  do  with  the  re- 
markable agility  of  the  fish  than  is  suspected.  In 
its  coloring  the  albacore  is  very  attractive,  garbed 
in  resplendent  tints.  Its  back  is  a  vivid  steely 
blue,  and  being  broad  and  rotund  it  is  a  conspicu- 
ous object  in  the  water.  The  belly  is  white,  or 
silvery,  the  fins  dark,  gleaming  with  a  blue  irides- 
cence or  lustre. 

Such  is  the  catch,  the  albacore,  the  Germo 
alalunga  (Gmelin)  of  science,  the  most  active 
of  all  its  congeners.  It  is  one  of  the  commonest 
fishes  in  the  Pacific  waters,  found  in  nearly  all 
tropical  seas,  but  not  caught  on  the  Atlantic 


The  Albacore  207 

coast  and  rarely  seen.  In  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  it  is  a  familiar  catch  in  nets.  Germon  is  its 
French  title,  but  the  common  name,  albacore,  was 
given  it  by  the  Portuguese,  who  undoubtedly  took 
it  from  the  Arabic  al,  a;  bacora,  little  pig.  The 
specific  name,  alalunga,  by  which  it  is  known  in 
Sardinia,  means  "long-winged."  Many  authori- 
ties give  the  maximum  weight  of  the  albacore  as 
twelve  or  fifteen  pounds,  which  is  far  too  low. 
I  have  measured  an  individual  which  weighed 
sixty-two  and  a  half  pounds,  and  have  been  in- 
formed by  reliable  fishermen  that  they  have  taken 
albacores  in  the  deep  San  Clemente  channel,  ten 
miles  west  of  Santa  Catalina,  which  weighed  one 
hundred  pounds;  but  these  large  fishes  rarely 
come  inshore.  The  one  first  referred  to  was 
caught  by  an  acquaintance,  not  fifty  feet  from  the 
rocks,  and  for  three  hours  it  fought,  towing  the 
boat  during  that  period  an  estimated  five  miles, 
often  against  the  oars  of  the  boatman,  and  mak- 
ing such  strenuous  resistance  that  it  was  consid- 
ered a  tuna  until  the  long  sabrelike  fins  of  the 
fish  told  the  story.  No  tuna  could  have  made  a 
better  struggle  than  this  long-finned,  big-eyed 
wanderer  of  the  family  Scombridce. 

On  the  Pacific  coast  the  albacore   spawns  in 


208  Big  Game  Fisbes 

July  and  August ;  at  least  at  this  time  fishes  with 
ripe  spawn  are  observed.  The  eggs  are  depos- 
ited presumably  in  the  open  channel ;  the  very 
young  fish  I  have  never  seen.  The  smallest 
observed  weighed  about  five  pounds.  The 
young  resemble  the  adult,  except  that  the  pecto- 
ral fins  are  shorter.  The  adult  fish,  while  it  is 
caught  near  the  island  shores,  never  approaches 
the  mainland,  being  found  from  two  to  five  miles 
out.  Always  present  in  vast  numbers,  feeding  or 
playing,  the  albacore  is  a  feature  of  the  angling 
life  of  the  islands  and  affords  no  little  amusement 
to  visitors  who  watch  its  leaps,  and  the  turmoil  it 
creates ;  now  here,  now  there,  ever  wandering,  it 
is  a  constant  menace  to  the  small  fishes.  The 
average  catch  weighs  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
pounds,  yet  fishes  of  this  size  drive  the  large  fly- 
ing-fishes inshore  and  often  afford  remarkable 
exhibitions  of  ground  and  lofty  tumbling,  almost 
invariably  coming  down  like  arrows.  The  rush 
of  a  school  of  albacores,  as  they  charge  the  flying- 
fishes,  invariably  arouses  the  angling  community, 
as  every  one  knows  that  here  are  bonitos,  and 
possibly  tunas,  all  forming  a  pack  of  sea-hounds 
crazed  with  the  lust  for  slaughter. 

"  Ahoy !  "  comes  from  a  launch  over  the  water, 


Tbe  Albacore  209 

and  a  boatman,  with  a  camaraderie  not  always 
found  where  competition  is  keen,  is  seen  pointing 
away  to  the  south,  where  a  scene  is  staged  on  the 
blue,  glasslike  sea  well  calculated  to  stir  the  blood 
in  the  veins  of  the  most  phlegmatic  angler.  A 
great  patch  of  the  ocean  appears  to  be  in  violent 
commotion;  the  air  is  filled  with  flying-fishes, 
which  dart  along  soaring,  not  flying,  crossing  each 
other's  path,  resembling  great  dragon-flies,  glisten- 
ing in  the  sunlight,  while  a  roar  like  the  sound  of 
distant  waves  breaking  upon  the  rocks  is  heard. 
Boats  are  turned  in  that  direction,  and  anglers, 
rod  in  hand,  are  presently  in  the  midst  of  the  fray. 
In  such  a  sortie  it  is  not  a  question  of  catching 
fish,  but  how  many  will  satisfy.  Two  anglers 
have  taken  forty  or  more  with  rods  in  a  few  hours. 
The  greatest  demand  for  albacores  comes  from 
the  black  sea-bass  anglers,  who  have  discovered 
that  this  leviathan  looks  favorably  upon  the  rich 
oily  meat  of  the  albacore.  To  the  dwellers  on 
the  Mediterranean  it  is  a  choice  dish,  but  to  the 
average  American  albacore  is  neither 

"  fish,  flesh,  nor  good  red  herring." 

Despite  this,  the   offshore   commercial   catch    is 
large   and   important  in  all   the  seashore  towns 


sio  Big  Game  Fishes 

from  San  Diego  to  Santa  Cruz.  As  sport  it 
brings  many  dollars  to  the  coffers  of  the  boatmen, 
who  go  from  five  to  seven  miles  out  from  San 
Diego,  Coronado,  San  Pedro,  Long  Beach,  Re- 
dondo,  Santa  Barbara,  and  all  alongshore.  The 
catch  for  1895,  taking  this  year  as  an  example, 
was  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  thousand  one 
hundred  and  forty-five  pounds,  valued  at  $4600. 
Nearly  all  the  fish  used  in  this  way  are  caught  by 
sail-boats,  whose  owners  troll  far  from  shore  in 
rough  water,  using  several  lines,  and  bone  jigs. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE   GROUPERS 

"  You  strange,  astonished-looking,  angle-faced, 
Dreary-mouthed,  gaping  wretches  of  the  sea, 
Gulping  salt  water  everlastingly, 
Cold-blooded,  though  with  red  your  blood  be  graced, 
And  mute,  though  dwellers  in  the  roaring  waste." 

—  LEIGH  HUNT.     The  Man  to  the  Fish. 

IN  visiting  different  fishing-grounds,  hunting 
for  new  fields  to  conquer  in  the  sea,  or  along- 
shore, the  sea  angler  instinctively  contrasts  or 
compares  the  various  fishes  he  catches  with  those 
of  other  regions  which  he  has  known,  and  fre- 
quently finds  many  points  of  resemblance.  The 
bluefish  is  represented  on  the  Pacific  coast  by 
the  yellowtail,  the  latter  completely  filling  its 
place  to  the  sportsman  but  not  to  the  epicure. 
In  Florida,  where  the  cod  is  not  found,  it  has  a 
representative  in  a  number  of  serranoid  fishes, 
the  groupers,  which  as  food-fishes  are  almost 
equal  to,  and  as  sport  rank  much  higher  than,  the 
cod. 


211 


212  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  angler  who  visits  the  outer  Florida  reef 
and  wanders  from  Biscayne  Bay  down  the 
islands  as  far  as  Loggerhead  will  find  at  Key 
West  and  all  alongshore  smacks  fitted  with  wells 
which  are  often  filled  with  groupers,  principally 
the  red  grouper,  caught  in  fairly  deep  water. 
When  the  well  is  full,  the  smack  squares  away 
for  Havana,  where  the  catch  is  disposed  of  to  the 
Cubans.  The  red  grouper  is  a  large  ungainly 
fish,  ranging  up  to  seventy  pounds  in  weight,  this 
being  the  largest  fish  of  the  kind  I  have  seen,  its 
length  being  about  three  and  a  half  feet.  It  is  an 
omnivorous  biter,  living  near  the  bottom,  in  water 
from  twenty  to  one  hundred  feet  deep,  preferring 
the  bases  of  the  great  coral  reefs,  where  an  abun- 
dant supply  of  food  is  assured.  As  a  hand-line 
fish  at  such  localities,  it  affords  some  sport.  The 
grounds  north  of  Sand,  Middle,  and  East  keys  of 
the  Tortugas  group  may  always  be  counted  upon, 
winter  and  summer,  while  other  fishing-grounds 
are  common  all  over  the  Gulf,  the  fish  having  a 
wide  range,  from  Rio  Janeiro  to  Maryland,  in- 
dividuals wandering  still  farther  north.  The 
tackle  used  is  a  stout  cod -line ;  the  hook  (I  used 
a  i o/o  Kirby  Limerick)  is  gauged  a  foot  or  more 
above  the  sinker,  the  theory  being  that  the  latter 


The  Groupers  213 

may  sink  into  the  branch  coral  or  a  grove  of  gor- 
gonias,  while  the  hook  or  bait  would  in  this  way 
swing  clear.  Again,  the  strike,  or  bite,  is  felt 
much  quicker  when  the  hook  is  above  the  sinker. 
The  bait  most  in  vogue  at  this  particular  point 
is  crayfish  or  conch,  the  latter  being  hard  and 
almost  indestructible ;  at  other  places  fish  bait  is 
employed. 

If  the  right  ground  is  found,  excellent  sport 
may  be  enjoyed,  the  red  grouper  being  the  chief 
attraction;  but  the  pleasure  is  intensified  by  the 
remarkable  variety  of  fishes  taken,  of  which  the 
big  porcupine-fish,  which  fills  itself  with  air  when 
reaching  the  surface  and  sails  along  on  the  water 
like  a  balloon,  is  not  least.  The  red  grouper 
when  at  forty  or  fifty  pounds  is,  so  far  as  its 
game  qualities  are  concerned,  like  the  cod,  there 
being  more  than  a  suspicion  of  laziness,  though 
some  big  fellows  will  give  fair  play ;  but  the  fish 
should  not  be  wholly  condemned.  Hauling  the 
best  of  fishes  from  a  great  depth  is  not  the  most 
exciting  of  pastimes,  but  such  fishes,  given  other 
conditions,  often  prove  worthy  the  term  "game." 
So  with  the  red  grouper;  I  found  that  while  a 
deep-water  fish,  a  companion  of  the  red  snapper 
and  a  bottom  lover,  it  came  inshore  in  June  to 


Big  Game  Fishes 

spawn  and  at  certain  places  could  be  found  and 
fished  for  from  the  reef.  Such  a  locality  was  at 
Bush  Key  in  the  Tortugas  group,  where  I  caught 
red  groupers  weighing  thirty  pounds  with  a  rod 
in  twenty  feet  of  water.  They  could  not  sulk, 
and  the  rushes  away  and  around  the  boat  made 
me  a  convert  to  the  despised  grouper  if  found 
under  the  conditions  described.  The  fish  spawns 
in  May  and  June  on  the  reef,  but  as  I  often  found 
spawn  in  specimens  taken  miles  offshore  in  deep 
water,  I  assumed  that  this  is  not  a  rule  with  all 
groupers.  Probably  those  near  the  shore  move 
in  to  spawn,  while  those  living  in  deep  water, 
away  from  land,  spawn  in  deep  water;  in  other 
words,  I  should  not  consider  the  fish  a  migratory 
one.  I  frequently  caught  small  individuals  two 
or  three  inches  in  length,  with  fly-hooks  and  cray- 
fish bait,  around  the  mangrove  roots  in  the 
lagoon,  where  they  consorted  with  young  grunts, 
gray  snappers,  and  angel-fishes.  As  a  table  fish, 
when  properly  cooked,  the  red  grouper  is  unex- 
celled in  the  South.  Boiled,  served  with  shrimp 
or  crayfish  sauce,  is  a  very  acceptable  method  of 
serving. 

The  red  grouper,  Epinephelus  morio,  belongs 
to  the  family  Serranidcz,  which  includes  many  of 


The  Groupers  215 

the  most  valuable  food  and  game  fishes,  many  of 
which  are  noted  for  their  size.  It  has  a  large 
head,  with  wide  buckler-like  gill-covers,  very  large 
or  deep  where  its  neck  should  be,  grading  off 
gradually ;  not  what  would  be  termed  a  handsome 
or  comely  fish,  yet  with  its  red  coat,  bright  and 
prominent  eyes,  long  and  full  dorsal,  it  makes 
a  brave  showing.  The  young,  especially  when 
they  weigh  about  ten  pounds,  are  particularly 
attractive. 

There  are  fascinations  in  angling  in  tropical 
seas  not  experienced  elsewhere.  The  fishing  is 
excellent  all  the  year  round.  Sir  Henry  Wotton, 
the  good  friend  of  Izaak  Walton,  once  said  that 
u  he  would  rather  live  five  Mays  than  forty 
Decembers,"  and  every  angler  will  agree  with 
him,  as  where  is  there  good  fishing  in  December? 
It  is  the  season  in  the  North  for  story-telling. 
The  angler  takes  out  his  rods,  his  fly-book,  or  his 
trolling  lure,  large  and  small,  and  tells  to  some 
patient  and  loyal  friend,  who  has  heard  the  same 
tale  fifty  times,  of  the  colossus  that  escaped  on  a 
certain  day ;  and  the  friend,  with  the  camaraderie 
of  the  true  angler,  smiles,  expresses  wonder,  and 
enjoys  it,  and  fails  to  note  how  the  monster 
grows  with  passing  seasons.  But  there  is  a 


216  Big  Game  Fishes 

region  where  every  month  is  May,  where  life  is  a 
constant  angling  fiesta. 

"A  heavenly  Paradise  is  that  place," 

far  down  on  the  outer  reef.  Any  day  in  the  year 
I  could  row  out  beyond  the  lagoon,  watch  my 
chance,  and  run  through  the  narrow  five-foot 
channel  that  breaks  the  great  barrier,  and  float 
over  groves  of  coral  and  gorgonias  whose  grace 
and  beauty  defied  description.  Mounds  of  olive- 
green  coral,  patches  of  lavender  and  gold  gorgo- 
nias fanned  by  the  current,  with  their  reticulated 
surfaces,  some  like  ostrich  plumes  in  red  or  brown; 
seaweeds  of  varied  hues,  delicate  vines,  living 
cloths  of  green  covering  the  dead  coral  rocks, 
all  forming  the  home  of  scores  of  fishes,  any 
one  of  which  was  game  to  the  not  too  critical 
angler. 

It  was  over  such  a  region  that  I  met  another 
member  of  this  family.  I  had  been  fishing  for 
the  captivating  yellowtail,  and  was  reeling  in, 
when  there  came  a  swirl  of  waters,  a  vision  of  a 
mighty  fish,  and  my  yellowtail  line  and  tip  were 
gone.  I  could  see  that  it  was  not  a  shark.  Chief, 
the  boatman,  expressed  the  opinion  that  it  was  a 
jewfish;  but  the  robber  was  blacker,  trimmer, 


Tbe  Groupers  217 

swifter  than  the  huge  jewfish,  so  I  baited  a  suit- 
able line  with  a  living  yellowtail  and  cast  it  over 
into  one  of  the  "  gulfs  enchanted  "  which  I  could 
plainly  see.  The  bait  was  very  active,  and  made 
a  brave  showing  with  its  vivid  gold  and  silver 
tints,  and  as  it  sank  slowly,  struggling,  something 
like  a  great  shadow  came  out  of  the  depths,  and 
the  next  instant  I  was  dragged  down  flat  into 
the  stern,  and  the  line  was  hissing,  leaping 
over  the  rail  like  a  living  thing.  So  fierce  was 
the  rush,  so  vigorous  the  onslaught,  that  for  a 
few  seconds  I  lost  the  line,  and  when  I  did  grasp 
it,  Chief  had  cast  off  the  buoyed  anchor  and  we 
were  away  behind  as  lively  a  steed  as  one  would 
wish. 

"  Man-eater  shark,  sa',"  grunted  the  Seminole, 
sententiously,  but  he  had  not  seen  it.  I  had,  and 
it  was  either  a  jewfish  or  some  fish  new  in  my 
experience. 

But  no  jewfish  ever  looked  so  dark  and  black 
as  did  this  mystery  that  turned  and  towed  us 
directly  out  to  sea.  And  as  the  water  deepened 
rapidly,  we  were  shortly  off  bottom  with  the  fish 
directly  beneath  us,  towing  the  clinker-built  boat 
so  swiftly  that  she  had  not  one,  but  two  bones 
in  her  teeth.  It  was  only  after  much  exertion 


218  Big  Game  Fishes 

that  I  lifted  the  fish  to  within  twenty  feet  of  the 
surface ;  then  it  turned  and  towed  us  directly  in 
toward  the  reef,  where  a  high  sea  was  breaking. 
Chief  now  took  the  oars  and  pulled  against  the 
fish,  while  I  labored  strenuously,  gaining  a  foot 
or  two,  then  lying  back  and  holding  hard,  while 
the  fish  made  desperate  rushes,  displaying  an 
indomitable  spirit,  making  me  suspicious  that  I 
had  caught  a  tartar.  From  early  youth  having 
had  a  penchant  for  taking  impossible  fishes  in 
various  ways,  it  had  often  occurred  to  me  that 
anglers  were  strange  creatures,  undergoing  great 
fatigue,  working,  straining,  being  jerked  this  way 
and  that,  to  conquer  a  big  fish.  Under  the  ban- 
ner of  sport,  this  was  pleasure ;  but  if  one  was 
rewarded  like  the  ordinary  daily  fisherman,  how 
prosaic,  how  monotonous,  how  hard  the  labor 
would  be.  It  all  depends  upon  the  point  of 
view,  and  as  I  controlled  my  fish  after  a  particu- 
larly heavy  rush,  Chief  stopped  rowing,  and  gaz- 
ing at  my  face,  contorted  with  emotion,  remarked, 
"  Ef  yo'  had  to  do  it,  sa',  it  would  be  mighty 
hard  work!"  Chief  could  never  understand 
why  I  insisted  upon  doing  all  the  hauling  while 
he  was  paid  to  do  it.  Chief  was  plainly  not  a 
sportsman;  he  had  never  experienced  the  thrill 


The  Groupers  219 

of  joy  of  the  angler  at  the  supreme  moment  of 
vantage  gained ;  and  so  it  is  worse  than  useless 
to  argue  with  the  man  who  does  not  care  for 
angling;  he  cannot  understand  that  the  angler 
is,  as  a  rule,  born,  not  bred. 

One  cannot  philosophize  with  a  wild  unknown, 
battering  and  hammering  at  your  arms,  plunging, 
then  rising  to  the  surface  with  convulsive  bound 
to  turn  and  plunge  again.  There  is  a  "second 
wind  "  in  sea  angling,  and  if  the  fish  secures  it,  it 
is  a  sorry  day  for  the  fisherman,  and  seeing  that 
the  fish  must  be  fought  without  cessation,  I 
played  it,  hauling  and  giving  with  all  my  power, 
and  in  a  few  moments  had  the  pleasure  of  sight- 
ing a  magnificent  fish  at  the  surface,  where  it 
turned  and  beat  the  blue  water  into  foam,  tossed 
the  Portuguese  men-of-war  into  pearly  fragments, 
and  ground  up  scores  of  delicate  jellyfishes 
which  swarmed  the  warm  waters  of  the  Gulf.  I 
held  the  game  while  Chief  cleverly  inserted  his 
big  gaff-hook  beneath  the  head,  and  we  held  the 
monster  hard  and  fast  and  rested  our  eyes  upon 
the  beauties  of  the  black  grouper,  Garrupa  ni- 
grita,  which,  when  towed  in  and  hauled  upon  the 
beach  at  Long  Key,  was  estimated  to  weigh  three 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 


220  Big  Game  Fishes 

This  grouper  attains  a  weight  of  six  hundred 
pounds,  possibly  more.  It  is  found  in  Brazil, 
Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  the  islands  of  the  Carib- 
bean Sea,  ranging  as  far  north  as  Pensacola  and 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns  River;  on  the  west- 
ern Gulf  coast  it  has  various  names.  The  large 
individuals  are  called  the  black  jewfish  down  the 
reef;  smaller  ones  of  one  hundred  and  forty  or 
fifty  pounds,  by  some  fishermen,  black  groupers. 
The  term  "  black  "  is  to  some  extent  a  misnomer, 
as,  while  the  fish  appears  black  as  it  rises,  its  real 
color,  at  least  in  specimens  I  have  observed,  is 
a  deep  grayish  or  orange  brown,  or  olive.  Along 
this  reef,  and  particularly  near  an  old  wreck  a 
mile  from  Bird  Key  in  the  Tortugas  group, 
where  the  barrier  reef  deepened,  I  took  numbers 
of  a  smaller  black  grouper,  Mycteroperca  bonaci 
(Poey),  a  fish  ranging  from  twenty  to  forty-five 
pounds,  and  found  them  very  gamy.  Crayfish 
bait  was  the  most  alluring.  The  tail  of  a  cray- 
fish, which  I  grained  on  the  open  reef  early  in 
the  morning,  was  crushed  on  the  side,  which 
splits  the  shell  down  the  back  and  renders  it 
easy  to  open.  This  was  cut  into  two  long  baits. 
The  line  used  was  a  number  twenty-one,  attached 
to  a  three-foot,  slender,  copper-wire  leader  or 


The  Groupers  221 

snood.  A  large  bait  was  necessary,  as  it  was  at 
once  attacked  by  parrot-fishes,  angel,  and  other 
beautiful  bait  destroyers,  whose  actions  attracted 
the  groupers,  which  darted  at  it  and  made  a  fine 
play,  invariably  poising  for  a  second,  with  dor- 
sals erect  with  excitement,  then  feeling  the  hook, 
charged  to  the  sounding  of  the  reel. 

Another  really  beautiful  grouper  which  can  be 
commended  to  the  angler  is  the  hamlet,  cherna 
criolla,  or  Nassau  grouper,  called  by  my  boat- 
man the  white  grouper.  It  is  Epinephelus  stria- 
tus  (Bloch)  of  science.  Its  color  is  at  times 
almost  white,  more  properly  a  pale  gray,  but  its 
normal  tint  is  a  light  olive-green  most  beauti- 
fully barred  with  white  or  pearl-gray,  while  the 
head  is  striped  horizontally,  giving  it  a  dashing 
appearance.  The  eye  is  a  rich  blue,  and  all 
together  this  fish  is  one  of  the  most  attactive  of 
the  tropical  game  fishes.  I  have  taken  it  at  Key 
West  and  all  along  the  reef  to  the  west,  and  it  is 
a  common  fish  in  West  Indian  waters,  where  it 
attains  a  weight  of  fifty  or  seventy-five  pounds. 
The  large  size  of  many  of  these  fishes  is  unsus- 
pected, as  the  giants  are  not  desirable  for  market 
and  often  cannot  be  transported.  I  never  saw 
a  black  grouper,  a  "  white  grouper,"  or  a  red 


222  Big  Game  Fisbes 

grouper  in  the  market  at  Key  West  which 
weighed  over  ten  or  fifteen  pounds.  The  largest 
fishes  were  often  rejected,  as  they  could  not  be 
conveniently  disposed  of ;  hence  few  except  reef 
fishermen  know  that  many  of  the  groupers  attain 
such  large  dimensions  or  are  endowed  with  game 
qualities. 

Another  fine  and  attractive  grouper,  the  spotted 
grouper,  Epinephelus  drummond-hayi,  may  be 
classed  with  the  large  game  fishes,  specimens  of 
which  have  been  caught  which  weighed  forty 
and  fifty  pounds  ;  but  the  average  weight  of  the 
species  caught  by  me  off  East  Key  was  but 
twenty-five  pounds.  The  young  fish  of  ten  or 
fifteen  pounds,  often  taken  about  large  coral 
heads,  afforded  good  sport.  There  are  numerous 
small  groupers,  snappers,  and  grunts,  belonging  to 
the  Florida  fishing-grounds,  which  while  com- 
paratively unknown,  would  repay  the  angler  who 
spends  the  winter  and  spring  along  the  Florida 
reef. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE  TARPON 

"  But  lo,  each  wave  to  silver  turns." 

— WILLIAM  SHARP. 

FEW  anglers  forget  their  first  view  of  the  tar- 
pon. One  saw  the  fish  make  a  thirty-foot  hori- 
zontal leap.  Another  sprang  aside  as  a  large 
fish  fell  headlong  into  the  boat,  passing  through 
the  bottom.  Another  viewed  the  silver  monster 
coming  like  an  arrow  over  the  edge  of  a  seine  and 
dodged  in  time  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the 
tragedy  which  had  happened  before.  An  angler 
in  a  boat  being  towed  behind  a  river  steamer  saw 
a  tarpon  leap  over  him  ;  and  still  another,  sitting 
on  the  deck  of  a  steamer,  was  made  a  target  by 
one  of  these  fishes,  which  fell  headlong  into  his 
lap.  Others  have  had  a  shark  rise  with  their  first 
tarpon  in  its  mouth,  literally  shaking  the  silver 
king  in  their  face ;  and  many  incidents  might  be 
given  in  the  yearly  history  of  this  grand  sport, 
showing  how  deep  an  impression  the  initial 

223 


224  Big  Game  Fishes 

appearance  of  the  tarpon  makes  upon  the  man 
with  the  rod. 

I  saw  my  first  tarpon  under  peculiar  circum- 
stances at  Garden  Key  on  the  Florida  reef.  I 
had  a  platform  built  beneath  a  wharf,  where  I 
could  fish  and  watch  certain  fishes  unseen,  pro- 
tected from  the  terrific  heat ;  and  one  day  when 
creeping  to  this  vantage-ground  I  was  amazed  to 
see  directly  by  my  side,  in  water  so  shallow  that 
its  long  dorsal  spine  was  at  the  surface,  a  huge 
tarpon.  It  was  perfectly  stationary,  and  a  better 
opportunity  to  observe  the  great  fish  with  silvery 
armor  was  never  afforded.  The  fish  was  at  least 
six  feet  in  length,  and  as  I  gazed  down  upon  it, 
its  back  had  a  deep  blue  tint.  I  did  not  dare  to 
move,  fearing  that  the  fascinating  vision  within 
my  very  reach  would  disappear,  and  for  several 
moments  feasted  my  eyes  upon  its  fair  propor- 
tions, when  it  slowly  moved  down  the  sandy  slope 
into  the  deep  blue  channel  and  disappeared. 
What  induced  the  great  fish  to  take  this  position 
I  could  not  conceive.  The  following  day,  with  a 
cast-net  boy  and  fishing-tackle,  I  went  to  Long 
Key,  which  at  that  time,  previous  to  a  hurricane 
which  I  understand  washed  it  away,  was  a  sandy 
island,  about  four  feet  high,  fifty  feet  wide,  and 


THE  LARGEST  TARPON   EVER  CAUGHT  WITH  ROD 
AND    REEL 

Caught  by  N.  M.  George,  of  Danbury,  Conn.,  at  Bahia  Hunda,  Florida, 
April  8,  1901.  Length,  7  feet,  2  inches;  girth,  46  inches;  weight, 
2 1 3  pounds  full 


Tbe  Tarpon  225 

nearly  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  which  formed  the 
western  barrier  of  a  large  lagoon.  Near  the 
lower  or  southern  end  of  this  key  the  bottom 
rapidly  dropped  away  from  three  or  four  feet  into 
the  deep  channel.  On  the  edge  of  this  I  cast 
a  live  mullet  bait,  which  sank  down  into  the  chan- 
nel, out  of  sight,  my  line  resting  on  the  sand  over 
a  windrow  of  shells,  Portuguese  men-of-war, 
lanthinas,  the  purple  sea-snail,  and  many  more, 
tossed  up  by  the  sea.  The  coral  sands  were 
fairly  alive  with  hermit  crabs.  Nearly  every 
shell  was  preempted,  and  presently  they  were 
crawling  over  me  with  the  curiosity  of  their  kind ; 
while  out  from  myriads  of  holes  came  wrhite  spirit 
crabs,  their  glassy  eyes  alert,  ready  to  dart  back  at 
the  first  alarm. 

A  strange  place  was  this  key,  —  not  a  tree  or 
bush,  nothing  on  or  in  the  sand  but  crabs,  and  an 
occasional  turtle's  nest.  While  I  was  wondering 
how  the  young  turtles  escaped  so  many  crabs,  my 
line  moved  perceptibly,  then  ran  into  the  water  for 
a  foot  or  two  and  stopped.  By  this  time  I  was  on 
my  feet  and  had  the  line  —  not  a  moment  too 
soon  —  as  it  ran  swiftly  out,  I  giving,  hoping  that 
it  was  a  tarpon,  yet  fearing  a  shark.  Perhaps 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of  line  slipped  away ;  then 


226  Big  Game  Fishes 

thinking  that  this  was  enough  for  even  the  mouth 
of  a  tarpon,  I  allowed  the  line  to  come  taut  and 
hooked  my  fish,  hooked  it  well,  as  up  into  the  air, 
fifty  feet  away,  rose  a  mass  of  molten  silver,  which, 
caught  by  the  sun,  flashed  and  scintillated  in 
a  thousand  rays,  and  while  in  mid-air  the  splendid 
creature  shook  its  massive  head  in  a  desperate 
effort  to  rid  itself  of  the  hook.  Then  down  it 
fell,  not  gracefully,  but  like  the  swordfish,  upon 
its  side,  tossing  the  water  in  every  direction.  Like 
a  knife  the  line  cut  the  water,  throwing  the  spray 
as  the  fish  shot  away,  taking  the  line,  garner- 
ing it  in  yards.  Only  by  mere  chance  was  the 
fish  turned  to  the  right,  so  that  its  rush  was  up 
the  key,  upon  whose  beach  we  had  been  running 
and  slacking  to  wed  the  fish  from  the  deep 
channel.  It  could  now  be  seen  racing  along  near 
the  surface  in  the  great  arc  of  a  circle ;  now  leap- 
ing into  the  air,  shaking  its  massive  head,  endeav- 
oring to  plunge  down,  tossing  its  tail  out  of  water, 
then  falling,  stopping  aimlessly  to  thrash  the 
water  into  a  flurry  of  foam. 

There  was  but  one  chance  to  save  the  fish,  and 
this  was  to  keep  it  in  shallow  water  and  gradually 
work  it  in ;  and  as  it  rushed  over  the  lagoon  we 
ran,  finally  going  out  into  the  shallow  water, 


The  Tarpon  227 

waist  deep,  to  save  the  line.  The  rush  of  the 
tarpon  and  our  erratic  movements  started  a 
school  of  large  black  nurse-sharks,  which  were 
sleeping  here,  into  a  wild  stampede,  which  threat- 
ened the  line.  It  was  mere  good  luck  that  saved 
the  tarpon,  that  now  repeatedly  left  the  water  and 
sprang  into  the  air,  a  glittering  mass  of  molten 
silver,  in  the  tropical  sun.  But  foot  by  foot  it 
was  forced  up  the  lagoon,  and  finally  my  bait- 
catcher,  wild  with  excitement,  literally  threw  him- 
self upon  it  as  I  led  it  into  the  shallows,  grasped 
it  by  the  gills  and  dragged  it  out  upon  the  sands, 
if  not  the  same  fish  I  had  watched  the  day  before, 
one  of  equal  size,  a  thing  of  beauty,  a  joy  forever. 
It  is  difficult  to  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the 
regal  splendors  of  the  tarpon  to  those  who  have 
not  seen  it.  Imagine  a  plain  herring  or  sardine 
lengthened  out  six  or  seven  feet.  Imagine  its 
scales  newly  minted  silver  dollars,  frosted  instead 
of  stamped,  silver  dollars  which  have  had  the 
nacre  of  the  whitest  pearl  in  their  composition, 
and  some  conception  may  be  had  of  the  glories  of 
this  radiant  creature  as  the  sun's  rays  flashed  upon 
it,  glancing  and  scintillating  in  every  direction. 
The  fish  which  lay  upon  the  sands  was  about  six 
feet  in  length  and  weighed  possibly  one  hundred 


228  Big  Game  Fishes 

and  twenty-five  or  thirty  pounds ;  but  this  was 
an  estimate.  The  tarpon  is  literally  a  gigantic 
cousin  of  the  herrings,  and  its  ties  to  the  gamy 
ten-pounder,  Elops  saurus,  and  bone-fish,  Albula 
vulpes,  are  still  closer.  It  is  included  in  the 
family  Elopidae,  and  after  many  nomenclatural 
vicissitudes  is  now,  according  to  Dr.  Jordan, 
Tarpon  atlanticus  (Cuvier  and  Val.),  differing 
but  little  from  an  East  Indian  tarpon,  Megalops 
cyprinoides. 

In  appearance  the  tarpon  is  long,  slender,  and 
thin,  or  compressed  —  the  typical  herring  type. 
Its  mouth  is  enormous  and  strikingly  oblique,  and 
when  open,  the  gill-covers  expanded,  showing  the 
blood-red  gills,  as  often  seen  when  leaping,  it  pre- 
sents an  extraordinary,  grotesque,  even  cynical 
appearance.  The  lower  jaw  is  very  prominent, 
suggestive  of  a  determination  not  to  be  caught ; 
the  teeth  are  minute,  like  velvet  or  plush  (villi- 
form),  and  the  interior  of  the  cavernous  mouth  is 
hard  and  difficult  to  penetrate.  The  eye  of  the 
tarpon  is  large  and  striking,  and  its  glare  has 
more  than  once  given  a  novice  a  tremor,  as  the 
gigantic  fish  seemed  to  hang  in  the  air  dangerously 
near  the  boat.  The  dorsal  fin  is  high  but  short, 
shaped  like  a  lateen  sail,  the  last  ray  long  and 


THE  RED  GROUPER 

Epinephelus  mono 


ACTUAL  SIZE  OF  JOKER 

THE  LITTLE  JOKER 
Used  in  Tarpon  and  Tuna  fishing  as  a  brake 


The  Tarpon  229 

slender,  reaching  backward  halfway  to  the  base 
of  the  tail.  The  latter  is  deeply  forked,  a  power- 
ful organ  by  which  the  tarpon  leaps.  The  most 
remarkable  feature  is  the  scales,  which  are  enor- 
mous, the  largest  being  three  inches  and  a  half 
in  length.  One  in  my  possession  measures  three 
inches  and  a  half  by  three,  almost  one-half  seem- 
ingly covered  with  molten  silver.  The  upper 
portion  of  the  back  has  a  metallic  blue  cast, 
appearing  green  in  the  water;  the  rest  of  the 
body  is  pure  silver. 

The  tarpon  is  found  along  the  Atlantic  coast 
from  Long  Island  to  Brazil,  but  not  in  sufficient 
quantities  north  of  Florida  or  the  St.  Johns  River 
to  assure  sport.  In  the  waters  about  the  south- 
ern portion  of  the  Peninsula,  on  both  sides,  it  is 
very  common,  but  is  not  plentiful  on  the  extreme 
outer  reef  from  Key  West  to  Loggerhead.  In 
six  or  seven  years  very  few  were  seen.  The 
localities  famous  for  them  on  the  Florida  coast 
are  in  a  general  sense  from  the  St.  Johns  to 
Biscayne,  Indian  River,  Lake  Worth,  and  Fort 
Meyer.  Other  localities  made  famous  by  anglers 
are  Captiva  Pass,  Boca  Grande  Pass,  Marco, 
Naples,  Pine  Island,  and  Homassossa.  Here  the 
fish  is  known  as  the  tarpon  or  silver-king,  but  on 


230  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  Louisiana  coast  it  becomes  the  grand  ecaille, 
and  along  the  Texan  shore  tarpon  and  savanilla. 
The  tarpon  is  a  migratory  fish,  moving  north 
over  the  vast  area  of  the  Gulf.  One  pronounced 
migration  is  along  the  coast  from  Mexico,  so 
reaching  Louisiana;  the  other  possibly  passing 
up  the  Windward  Islands,  so  reaching  Key  West 
or  vicinity,  following  up  the  keys  to  the  Cape, 
some  following  the  west  and  others  the  east 
coast.  I  infer  this  from  the  fact  that  if  the  vast 
schools  moved  north  in  the  centre  of  the  Gulf, 
they  would  have  been  noticed  at  the  Tortugas 
group,  where,  as  stated,  the  fish  is  rare.  Around 
Cuba  and  other  islands  some  tarpon  are  found  all 
the  time,  but  they  are  more  plentiful  in  summer 
at  the  Florida  points ;  schools  have  been  seen  all 
winter  between  Key  West  and  Cape  Florida,  par- 
ticularly at  Caesar's  Inlet.  They  appear  in  Feb- 
ruary, increasing  rapidly  in  numbers  in  March, 
April,  and  May,  entering  rivers  and  streams  as  the 
Apalachicola,  being  seen,  according  to  Stearns, 
eight  miles  from  the  mouth.  I  am  indebted  to 
W.  S.  Jenkins,  chief  engineer  of  the  Aransas 
Pass  Water  Company,  for  much  interesting  data 
relating  to  the  arrival  of  the  tarpon  in  Texas. 
He  writes :  "  The  tarpon  makes  its  appearance  in 


The  Tarpon  231 

Aransas  Pass,  lat.  27°  50'  north,  early  in  March 
of  each  year,  coming  from  the  south.  During 
the  months  of  March,  April,  and  May  they  may 
be  seen  in  schools  of  six  to  one  hundred,  coming 
up  the  coast  from  the  south.  Reaching  the  deep 
water  of  the  Pass,  they  congregate  in  the  gorge 
of  the  Pass  for  a  while,  as  though  to  rest  and 
feed,  and  then  pursue  their  journey  north  along 
the  coast  to  Galveston,  Sabine  Pass,  and  other 
points.  From  the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle 
of  May  they  do  not  appear  to  take  the  hook  or 
bait;  during  this  time  they  are  congregated  in 
large  numbers  in  the  shallow  bays  and  flats  and 
can  be  approached  easily  in  a  small  boat  without 
displaying  any  alarm,  and  no  lure  will  tempt 
them  to  take  the  hook.  Apparently  this  is  their 
spawning  season.  .  .  .  During  the  latter  part  of 
May  and  in  June  the  tarpon  take  the  hook 
readily  and  seem  eager  for  the  mullet. 

"  The  smallest  tarpon  I  have  measured  was 
2'  9"  long  and  weighed  eleven  pounds;  but 
September  22,  1897,  I  hooked  a  tarpon  which 
appeared  to  be  but  twelve  or  thirteen  inches 
long.  I  lost  it,  so  cannot  say  that  I  have  seen 
the  young  taken.  About  the  first  of  December 
the  tarpon  disappear  entirely  from  the  Pass. 


232  Big  Game  Fishes 

I  believe  that  they  go  south  or  seek  the  warmer 
waters  of  the  Gulf." 

As  to  the  spawning  habits  of  the  tarpon  almost 
nothing  is  known,  and  the  above  information  was 
in  reply  to  some  questions  I  propounded,  hoping 
to  obtain  some  definite  facts.  I  watched  the 
hauling  of  the  seine  several  years  at  the  Tortugas 
group,  but  never  saw  a  young  tarpon  taken,  so 
assume  that  it  does  not  breed  at  this  point. 
Mr.  Barton  W.  Evermann  found  in  his  investiga- 
tions among  the  fishes  of  Porto  Rico,  reported  to 
the  United  States  Fish  Commission,  that  the  fish 
doubtless  made  this  region  a  spawning-ground. 
He  says :  "  Common  about  Porto  Rico,  where  it 
evidently  breeds,  as  numerous  immature  individ- 
uals were  taken  at  Hucares  and  Fajardo. 

"  The  four  examples  are  from  Hucares,  from 
7.5  to  11.5  inches  long,  and  were  seined  in  a 
small,  brackish  pool  of  dark-colored  water,  not 
over  5  feet  deep,  in  the  corner  of  a  mangrove 
swamp,  and  at  that  time  (February)  entirely 
separated  from  the  ocean  by  a  narrow  strip  of 
land  scarcely  25  feet  wide.  The  thirteen  others 
are  nearly  all  very  young,  of  2.25  to  3.25  inches, 
collected  at  Fajardo.  No  large  individuals  are 


seen." 


TARPON;   TARPUM 
Tarpon  atlanticus  (Cuvier  and  Valenciennes) 


COMMON   MULLET;     STRIPED   MULLET 
Mugil  cephalus  (Linnaeus) 


The  Tarpon  233 

The  tarpon  attains  a  length  of  seven  or  eight 
feet  and  a  weight  of  four  hundred  pounds. 
Evermann  states  that  a  specimen  weighing  three 
hundred  and  eighty-three  pounds  has  been 
harpooned,  and  from  the  descriptions  of  men 
who  lived  on  the  upper  reef  I  am  convinced 
that  this  is  not  the  limit.  In  its  habits  the 
tarpon  is  a  wandering,  predaceous  fish,  preying 
upon  sardines,  mullet,  and  small  fry  of  a  similar 
nature.  It  devastates  the  schools,  pursuing  its 
course  up  the  rivers  into  bays  and  over  the  flats, 
everywhere  a  rapacious  fish,  and  by  the  fisher- 
men where  it  is  liable  to  be  seined,  considered 
dangerous,  owing  to  its  habit  of  leaping  to 
escape.  The  tarpon  is  not  valued  in  America 
as  a  food  fish,  and  many  fishes  hooked  for  the 
sport  are  released,  the  large  specimens  being 
mounted  as  trophies.  The  tarpon  has  a  value 
outside  of  its  flesh.  The  beautiful  scales  bring 
from  ten  to  twenty-five  cents  apiece  in  the 
market.  Dealers  use  them  for  various  purposes ; 
and  some  anglers,  as  a  piscatorial  carte  de  visite, 
write  their  name,  the  date,  and  the  weight  of  the 
fish  on  the  inside,  and  send  the  alluring  object  to 
some  distant  angling  friend,  who  is  thus  infected 
with  the  fishing-fever  and  made  wholly  miserable. 


234  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  tarpon,  ranked  by  its  devotees  as  the  great- 
est of  game  fish,  is  perhaps  the  only  one  which  is 
utterly  scorned  as  a  food  fish.  I  found  my  negro 
oarsman  poring  over  an  old  geography  one  day  at 
Garden  Key,  carefully  measuring  a  map  of  Florida 
from  Loggerhead  up,  with  a  foot  rule.  Finally  he 
said :  "  Boss,  disher's  a  mighty  out-ob-de-way  place. 
Fs  jes'  reckonin',  an'  hit's  jes'  two  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  a  watermelon  patch." 

"  Well,  you  have  a  tarpon,  the  finest-looking  fish 
in  the  world,"  I  said,  referring  to  the  one  caught. 

"Yes,  sa',  hit  looks  fine;  so  does  hay.  Fd 
rather  eat  hay  dan  tarpon,  yes,  suh,  I  would." 

The  great  fighter  is  caught  mainly  for  the  sport 
it  affords,  its  relations  to  the  angler  as  game 
being  similar  to  those  of  certain  animals  to  the 
hunter,  who  often  risks  his  life  to  obtain  the  skin. 
The  tarpon  season  at  Boca  Grande,  Captiva, 
Marco,  Naples,  and  other  places,  is  marked  every 
year  by  remarkable  sport,  and  now  that  railroads 
have  opened  up  Florida  and  palatial  hotels  are 
found  all  alongshore,  the  .angler  can  reach  the 
best  tarpon  grounds  with  every  comfort.  At 
these  places  anglers  from  all  over  the  civilized 
world  congregate  and  try  conclusions  with  this 
marvellous  game,  and  as  a  result,  boatmen  have 


EDWIN   VOM   HOPE'S  TARPON,   210    POUNDS,  WHICH   WAS 
THE  WORLD'S   RECORD    FOR   A  TIME 


Tbe  Tarpon  235 

developed,  well  schooled  in  all  the  requisites,  and 
the  sport  can  be  fully  enjoyed.  Tarpon  fishing 
with  the  rod  is  like  tuna  fishing  —  a  modern 
sport  —  and  was  brought  into  public  notice  by 
Mr.  W.  H.  Wood,  of  New  York,  the  first  tarpon 
having  been  taken  in  this  way  by  Mr.  S.  Jones 
of  Philadelphia  at  Indian  River  Inlet.  This  his- 
toric tarpon  weighed  about  one  hundred  and 
thirty  pounds  and  was  six  feet  in  length,  and 
fought  the  angler  over  two  hours  before  it  was 
brought  to  gaff.  The  fortunate  boatman  who 
shared  the  reflected  honor  was  John  Weier  of 
New  Smyrna.  I  well  recall  the  interest  aroused 
among  anglers  when  it  was  announced  that  an 
angler  wagered  the  expenses  of  any  one  to  Flor- 
ida who  would  take  a  tarpon  with  rod,  reel,  and 
light  line.  This  was  rash,  as  the  fish  had  already 
been  taken  by  Mr.  Jones,  but  it  was  the  intro- 
duction of  this  remarkable  sport. 

We  will  assume  that  the  angler  is  at  some  of 
the  resorts  mentioned,  or  at  St.  James  City,  at 
Pine  Islands,  to  reach  which  the  train  is  taken 
from  Jacksonville  to  Charlotte  Harbor.  Once  on 
the  ground,  arrangements  can  be  made  to  fish  in 
the  vicinity  or  any  of  the  localities  farther  south. 
The  question  of  tarpon  tackle  is  important  and 


236  Big  Game  Fishes 

is  much  a  question  of  taste.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  men  who  have  courted  fame  by  bringing 
their  fish  to  gaff  in  a  short  time  use  "  club  "  rods, 
built,  as  a  certain  boatman  sententiously  said,  for 
"  snatching  a  tarpon  bald-headed."  But  there  are 
others  who  temper  their  methods  with  a  modicum 
of  humanity,  and  use  longer  rods  and  the  lightest 
line  that  the  conscience  of  the  true  sportsman  will 
allow.  Such  a  rod  may  be  of  snake  wood,  noib 
wood,  or  greenheart.  It  has  a  single  long  tip  with 
a  short  butt,  and  when  jointed  is  seven  or  seven 
and  a  half  feet  in  length.  The  line  is  a  number 
fifteen  or  eighteen,  and  the  hook  a  10/0  Limerick, 
a  Van  Vleck,  or  an  O'Shaughnessy  of  similar  size. 
The  snood,  or  snell,  is  a  debatable  question  of  vital 
importance  along  the  tarpon  belt.  Some  anglers 
use  wire,  but  it  is  a  shark  country,  and  there  are 
groupers,  channel-bass,  and  various  game  which 
become  vermin  when  the  mind  of  the  angler 
is  concentrated  on  tarpon  alone,  hence  a  soft 
snood  is  preferred,  that  the  shark  may  sever  it  and 
cause  no  delay  in  the  real  work  cut  out  for  the 
day.  The  hard  jaw  of  the  tarpon  easily  files  off 
a  slender  line,  so  a  compromise  is  effected,  and 
a  stout  cod-line  snood  is  used  by  some;  others 
again  employ  a  moose-hide  snood,  and  there  are 


The  Tarpon  237 

others.  A  large  multiplying  reel  is  necessary, 
one  that  will  hold  six  hundred  feet  of  wet  line,  and 
this  should  have  a  leather  thumb  brake.  The 
regulation  tarpon  reels  are  fully  equipped,  and  in 
point  of  fact  the  tuna  and  tarpon  outfits  are  alike 
with  the  exception  of  the  snood,  which  in  tuna 
fishing  is  always  of  wire  and  very  long.  The 
boats  employed  vary  in  localities  and  are  ordi- 
nary light,  serviceable,  lapstreak  boats,  with  a  seat 
for  the  angler  or  anglers  to  face  the  stern. 

The  boatman  having  secured  a  catch  of  mullet, 
you  are  off  for  the  grounds,  with  a  choice  of 
methods  depending  upon  the  boatman,  the  place, 
or  its  traditions.  You  may  anchor  on  the  edge 
of  deep  water,  anchor  inshore,  or  your  boatman 
may  row,  the  gamy  fish  being  taken  in  various 
ways.  Some  anglers  refuse  to  have  the  boat  cast 
off,  preferring  to  fight  to  the  finish  from  the  an- 
chorage. Assuming  that  the  boat  is  anchored 
in  a  favorable  position,  the  mullet  is  cast  thirty 
or  forty  feet  distant,  and  the  waiting,  that  is  an 
accompaniment  of  all  sport,  begun.  If  there  has 
been  a  norther,  if  it  is  a  late  season,  if  cool  weather 
has  been  the  rule  for  some  weeks,  the  wait  may 
be  a  long  one,  and  there  is  a  tradition  of  a  man 
who  never  had  a  strike,  yet  is  fishing  on  and  on,  a 


238  Big  Game  Fishes 

piscatorial  Wandering  Jew.  If  it  is  very  hot,  there 
is  more  chance  for  an  early  strike,  as  the  tarpon 
evidently  prefers  warm  weather  and  the  resultant 
warm  water.  Some  wit  has  described  this  phase 
of  tarpon  fishing  as  sitting  in  a  Turkish  bath 
holding  a  string ;  but  the  heat  in  this  part  of  Flor- 
ida is  cool  compared  to  the  still  days  where  I  have 
fished  far  down  on  the  outer  reef.  Despite  this 
uncertainty,  the  angler  should  take  for  his  motto, 
Nunquam  non  paratus,  and  live  up  to  it,  as  a 
strike  is  liable  to  come  at  any  time.  There  are  a 
thousand  and  one  diversions  in  Florida  to  occupy 
the  angler,  who  of  course  is  a  lover  of  nature,  even 
if  the  fish  are  not  biting  ;  and  again  it  may  be  the 
day  of  days  when  the  game  is  in  the  Pass  and 
fish  are  seen  at  once  rising  all  about,  flashing  here 
and  there.  Such  a  day  Mr.  O.  A.  Mygatt  of  New 
York  found  at  Boca  Grande  on  May  26,  1898, 
when  he  took  twenty-two  tarpons,  which  I  believe 
is  the  record ;  while  at  this  famous  locality  Mr. 
W.  H.  Grenfell  of  London  took  one  hundred  fish 
between  April  19  and  May  10,  —  both  of  which 
cases  illustrate  the  possibilities  in  this  sport  of 
sports. 

We  may  assume  that  it  is  a  fishing  day.     Pres- 
ently the  line  begins  to  run  out,  and  you  aid 


The  Tarpon  239 

the  big  reel,  overhauling  the  line,  paying  out, 
ze-ze-ze-ze!  until  perhaps  twenty-five  or  even  thirty 
feet  have  gone.  This  is  the  method  of  many 
successful  tarpon  anglers,  but  not  my  own.  By 
this  time  you  fancy  that  the  tarpon  has  bolted 
the  bait,  and  you  give  it  the  butt  as  the  line 
comes  taut,  forcing  the  hook  into  its  big  throat. 
Up  into  the  air  it  rises,  looking  so  big,  shaking 
so  fiercely,  that  you  wonder  if  such  a  monster 
can  be  caught.  At  such  a  moment  a  tarpon 
has  tossed  the  baited  hook  yards  away,  dropped 
to  the  water  with  a  crash  and  leaped,  wild 
with  fear,  pain,  or  astonishment,  still  believing 
itself  hooked.  A  tarpon  in  such  a  frenzy  has 
been  seen  to  throw  itself  an  estimated  thirty  feet 
along  the  water.  Sometimes  it  rises  near  the 
boat,  again  fairly  alongside.  But  your  fish  is 
headed  away,  and  as  your  boatman  has  hauled  up 
the  anchor,  you  are  off  behind  this  silvery  king. 
Now  it  threatens  to  take  you  out  into  the  surf  in 
its  wild  rush  for  the  Gulf  —  now  it  is  in  the  air, 
a  splendid  glittering  object,  the  type  of  activity. 
Two  or  three  hundred  feet  of  line  have  been 
taken  in  the  succession  of  rushes,  and  despite 
your  utmost  exertion,  your  pumping  and  fighting, 
the  tarpon  holds  its  own,  is  still  king ;  but  in  the 


240  Big  Game  Fisbes 

end  you  win,  and  after  half  an  hour,  or  perhaps 
it  is  two  hours,  the  tarpon  is  alongside.  Your 
boatman  gaffs  it  and  deftly  slides  it  into  the  boat, 
and  as  you  lean  back,  worn,  weary,  dishevelled, 
a  finger  nail  gone,  perhaps,  two  knuckles  bleeding 
where  the  handle  of  the  reel  caught  you  at  the  last 
rush,  yet  you  are  happy  and  delighted ;  and  so  far 
from  being  discouraged,  you  are  now  determined 
to  hook  a  record  fish  if  it  takes  all  summer. 

Such  may  be  the  experience  of  an  angler  in 
Florida.  At  Captiva  Pass,  Mr.  Edwin  vom 
Hofe  of  New  York  took  his  two-hundred-and- 
ten-pound  tarpon,  which  was  for  many  years  the 
record,  and  I  believe  still  holds  for  this  particular 
region.  It  was  exceeded  by  Mr.  N.  M.  George 
of  Danbury,  Connecticut,  who  took  with  the  rod, 
at  Bahia  Honda,  April  8,  1901,  a  tarpon  which 
weighed  two  hundred  and  thirteen  pounds.  Its 
length  was  seven  feet  two  inches  and  its  girth 
forty-six  inches. 

This,  then,  is  the  record  for  American  waters. 
This  catch  was  exceeded  by  Dr.  Howe  at  Tam- 
pico,  Mexico,  his  fish  weighing  two  hundred  and 
twenty-three  pounds.  All  these  catches  stand  on 
a  weighing  basis.  R.  E.  Farley  of  Aransas  Pass 
informs  me  that  C.  W.  McCawley  of  Dallas, 


The  Tarpon  241 

Texas,  landed  on  July  17,  1901,  a  tarpon  seven 
feet  ten  inches  in  length,  with  a  girth  of  forty-six 
inches.  This  fish,  unfortunately,  was  not  weighed. 
According  to  the  formula  given,  this  would  indi- 
cate a  fish  weighing  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  pounds,  doubtless  the  record  fish ;  but  in 
a  question  of  records  weight  alone  is  accepted. 
A  fish  taken  in  Corpus  Christi  Bay,  near  Aran- 
sas  (on  a  hand-line,  so  I  understand),  was  eight 
feet  three  inches  in  length  and  weighed  two 
hundred  and  nine  and  a  half  pounds.  I  have 
seen  a  photograph  of  this  remarkable  fish,  and  it 
was  very  long  and  slender.  If  it  had  been  in  the 
best  condition,  doubtless  it  would  have  exceeded 
any  fish  taken  with  line. 

The  question  of  records  is  an  important  one 
to  the  angler,  who  has,  it  must  be  confessed,  a 
single  weakness  manifested  in  pride  in  the  cap- 
ture of  a  large  fish ;  hence  certain  safeguards 
must  be  thrown  about  the  question.  There  are 
records  with  the  harpoon,  records  with  the  hand- 
line,  but  the  true  record  of  the  sportsman-angler 
is  the  rod  record,  —  in  a  word,  the  catch  made 
in  a  sportsmanlike  manner,  as  that  of  Mr.  George 
or  Mr.  vom  Hofe ;  and  there  is  an  unwritten 
rule  that  the  record  weight  must  be  that  shown 


242  Big  Game  Fishes 

at  the  weighing,  and  shall  be  attested  by  wit- 
nesses. I  made  the  draught  of  the  original  rules 
of  the  angling  tournament  of  the  Tuna  Club, 
and  suggested  that  the  club  demand  that  con- 
testants use  a  fairly  light  rod,  theoretically  not 
over  twenty-six  ounces  in  weight,  a  line  not 
larger  than  a  twenty-four  cuttyhunk;  that  the 
fish  must  be  brought  to  gaff  unaided,  any  break- 
age or  assistance  from  boatman  debarring  the 
angler.  This  assures  a  contest  between  one  man 
and  the  fish,  the  chances  on  the  side  of  the  latter. 
It  is  astonishing  how  a  fish  will  grow  in  the 
hands  of  a  determined  and  enthusiastic  boatman. 
I  recall  one  who  always  claimed  that  the  scales 
were  "shy  four  pounds."  He  then  added  two 
pounds  for  loss  of  blood  while  playing,  two  more 
for  certain  "  shrinkages  and  evaporations  "  before 
it  could  be  weighed ;  then  this  true  and  cheerful 
soul  would  throw  in  an  extra  pound  for  luck,  and 
was  prepared  to  take  affidavit  that  the  weight 
was  correct.  My  catches  were  the  envy  of  the 

reef  when  Billy had  the  weighing.    And  then 

to  hear  him  announcing  the  weight  to  others ! 
Then  it  was  that  he  soared  to  the  very  empyrean 
of  the  imagination.  The  arguments  that  he  had 
to  sustain  his  premise,  the  impressive  manner 


The  Tarpon  243 

in  which  he  swore  to  the  double  weight,  the 
evident  fact  that  he  convinced  himself  that  he 
was  right,  were  all  delightful  features  in  these 
fishing  days  when  records  were  not  thought  of. 
I  once  caught  with  his  aid  a  three-hundred-and- 
fifty-pound  jewfish  and  frequently  told  the  story. 
After  several  years  I  met  Billy,  and  in  his  pres- 
ence related  the  experience ;  but  when  I  men- 
tioned the  weight,  his  face  assumed  an  expression 
of  surprise.  "Why,  sir,"  he  said,  "you  forget, 
sir,  that  I  weighed  that  fish,  and  it  weighed  five 
hundred  pounds,  sir,"  this  so  seriously  that  no 
one  could  hold  out  against  it;  doubtless  it  was 
five  hundred  pounds,  and  I  was  mistaken.  This 
boatman  was  an  Irishman,  a  second  Paddy  Farrell 
of  Kinsale,  whose  angling  lines  have  made  John 
Lander  famous  in  the  annals  of  angling  poetry. 
You  will  remember  that  Paddy  thus  writes  to 
his  friend  Thady  Mullowny  and  beseeches  him 
to  come  down  and  try  the  fish  of  Kinsale,  send- 
ing him  a  hake  through  the  mail  as  a  sample 
of  the  big  fish  then  biting:  — 

"  We've  a  choice  set  of  books  for  the  student  who  wise  is, 

The  eel  of  true  science  to  seize  by  the  tail ; 
At  all  seasons  a  skate  you  can  have  where  no  ice  is, 
Or  a  sinecure  plaice  you  may  get  at  Kinsale." 


244  Big  Game  Fishes 

Back  to  Paddy  came  this  rollicking  answer :  — 

"  Dear  Paddy  —  I  got  your  poetic  epistle, 

Along  with  the  hake  that  you  sent  by  the  mail ; 
But  what  could  bewitch  you  to  sing,  or  to  whistle, 
In  strains  so  melodious  the  praise  of  Kinsale  ? 

"  In  all  baits  you're  well  skilled,  you  cod-dragging  curmudgeon, 

To  hook  every  fish,  from  a  sprat  to  a  whale ; 
But  your  lines  shan't  catch  me  —  by  my  soul,  I'm  no  gudgeon 
To  flounder  or  starve  in  the  streets  of  Kinsale. 

"  I  know  your  design  is,  as  usual  —  sell  —  fish ; 

For  catch  what  you  will,  my  old  boy,  I'll  be  bail, 
You'll  jolt  off  to  Cork  your  best  hake  and  best  shell- fish, 
And  leave  barely  a  claw  for  the  town  of  Kinsale." 

Texas  should  add  the  tarpon  rampant  to  her 
escutcheon,  as  sooner  or  later  the  fame  of  this 
splendid  fish  and  the  remarkable  fishing  found 
along  her  shores  will  become  one  of  the  prime 
attractions  of  this  region.  That  I  might  speak 
from  first  hand  and  describe  the  capture  of  the 
Texas  tarpon  from  actual  experience,  I  made  the 
trip  to  the  Gulf  coast  in  July  and  August,  1902, 
finding  the  fishing  at  Aransas  Pass  far  beyond 
my  expectations,  and  what  was  more  surprising, 
the  grounds  tempered  by  a  cool  breeze  which 
made  the  sport  enjoyable  and  in  every  way  satis- 
factory. 


The  Tarpon  245 

The  tarpon  is  found  all  along  the  coast  of 
Texas,  but  the  centre  of  interest  is  Aransas  Pass, 
a  narrow  cut  between  St.  Joseph's  and  Mustang 
islands,  eight  miles  from  the  mainland.  On  the 
former  stands  the  fine  club-house  of  the  Tar- 
pon Club,  whose  hospitality  I  enjoyed  through 
the  courtesy  of  Judge  A.  W.  Houston,  its  vice- 
president,  a  devoted  tarpon  angler  of  San  Antonio. 
On  Mustang  Island  is  the  little  town  of  Tarpon 
and  its  one  hotel,  Tarpon  Inn,  where  the  angler 
will  find  excellent  entertainment,  good  boatmen, 
and  tackle,  if  perchance  he  is  without  it.  Aransas 
Pass  is  reached  from  New  York  or  California  via 
San  Antonio,  the  Sunset  Route  being  the  most 
direct  in  either  case.  At  San  Antonio  the  Aran- 
sas Pass  road  in  a  few  hours  takes  one  to  Rock- 
port,  from  which  there  is  a  daily  mail-boat  down 
the  fine  bay  of  Aransas  fifteen  miles,  to  the 
Tarpon  Club  or  Tarpon  Inn.  The  fishing  sea- 
son here  is  from  April  to  December,  and  possibly 
the  angler  would  find  it  cooler  in  October,  when, 
I  was  informed,  the  fish  are  in  the  inner  Pass; 
but  I  found  the  conditions  excellent  in  August,  a 
cool  breeze  blowing  night  and  day  and  the  fish 
biting.  I  fell  into  the  hands  of  one  Mateo  Bru- 
jen,  one  of  the  many  skilled  boatmen  here,  and 


246  Big  Game  Fishes 

in  ten  minutes  after  reaching  the  Pass  I  was 
playing  my  first  Texas  tarpon ;  and  of  six  boats 
which  made  up  the  party,  all  had  fish  or  strikes 
soon  after  reaching  the  ground.  I  fished  with  a 
rod  eight  and  a  half  feet  long,  a  twenty-one  cutty- 
hunk  line,  using  a  large  tuna  reel  of  Edwin  vom 
Hofe  make,  containing  six  hundred  feet  of  line,  a 
Van  Vleck  hook  with  a  three-foot  phosphor- 
bronzed  wire  leader,  or  snell,  the  boatman  doub- 
ling the  line  for  about  a  foot  beyond  this.  The 
bait  was  a  live  mullet  not  over  four  inches  in 
length,  hooked  through  the  lips,  and  with  thirty 
feet  of  line  out  I  began  fishing. 

My  boatman  rowed  slowly  along  the  jetty,  not 
ten  feet  distant,  where  the  water  was  shallow. 
The  tide  was  slack,  the  water  smooth  in  the 
channel,  but  breaking  heavily  on  either  side. 
That  tarpons  were  plentiful  was  evident,  as  every 
few  minutes  the  back  of  one  would  be  seen ;  and 
as  the  boatman  rowed  out  beyond  the  jetty  I  had 
my  first  strike,  and  with  the  best  of  luck  hooked 
my  fish.  Up  into  the  air  four  or  five  feet  went  a 
splendid  mass  of  molten  silver,  to  fall  with  a 
crash,  only  to  go  up  again,  this  time  tossing  the 
bait  at  me  with  such  force  that  it  fell  on  the 
gunwale.  As  the  fish  reached  the  surface,  it 


The  Tarpon  247 

made  a  fine  run  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
which  was  irresistible.  The  boatman  shouted 
that  a  shark  was  after  it,  so  I  forced  the  fighting 
while  he  backed  water.  Up  into  the  air  went  the 
silver  king  on  the  crest  of  a  big  roller,  falling 
broadside  and  still  hooked,  as  I  had  with  the  big 
multiplier  kept  a  taut  line;  then  it  stopped  and 
came  toward  me,  sweeping  around  in  the  arc  of 
a  circle,  making  a  splendid  leap  so  near  the  boat 
that  I  fancied  I  heard  the  boatman  gasp;  perhaps 
it  was  myself.  Nothing  could  be  more  gamy, 
more  magnificent,  than  the  play  of  this  fish,  as 
rushing,  leaping,  coming  in,  bearing  off,  always 
on  the  surface,  it  fought  its  gallant  fight  for  fifteen 
minutes  or  more,  until  I  brought  it  successfully 
to  the  boat.  As  near  as  I  could  estimate,  the  fish 
was  six  feet  in  length,  as  we  lost  it  after  having 
towed  it  nearly  to  the  beach  a  mile  distant. 

By  this  time  two  other  anglers  were  playing 
tarpons,  and  the  scene  was  intensely  exciting  and 
sensational,  especially  as  a  gaffed  tarpon  very 
nearly  wrecked  a  neighboring  boat,  overturning 
gaffer  and  angler  in  the  melee.  Tarpons  were 
now  leaping  here  and  there,  and  I  turned  my 
attention  to  attempts  to  photograph  them,  one 
angler  forcing  his  fish  to  jump  for  my  benefit  and 


248  Big  Game  Fishes 

with  a  thirty-seven  cotton  line  endeavoring  to  trip 
or  throw  it  in  the  air. 

At  times,  when  a  dozen  or  more  boats  have 
been  fishing  here,  six  or  eight  tarpons  have  been 
seen  in  the  air  at  the  same  moment,  and  the  lofty 
tumbling  productive  of  much  entertainment.  A 
large  fish  hooked  by  a  member  of  the  Tarpon 
Club  leaped  over  the  boat  of  Judge  Houston ; 
and  a  fish  hooked  by  another  angler  leaped  into 
the  air  and  struck  the  chair  of  the  occupant  of 
another  boat,  almost  knocking  him  overboard. 
In  such  a  whirl  of  excitement  it  is  evident  that 
angler  and  boatman  must  be  on  the  alert,  not  only 
to  secure  their  own  fish,  but  to  avoid  the  air  rushes 
of  the  frenzied  game  of  some  one  else. 

The  second  tarpon  I  hooked  was  kept  at  short 
line  especially  to  observe  the  leap,  in  a  hope  to 
photograph  it;  but  when  the  splendid  creature 
went  into  the  air  higher  than  my  head,  not  ten 
feet  distant,  hurling  the  spray  over  me,  I  confess 
that  all  thoughts  of  the  kodak  vanished.  When 
in  the  air,  the  fish  was  apparently  headed  for  me, 
but  it  dropped  alongside  with  a  crash,  and  as  the 
warning  of  the  boatman  came,  fearing  that  the 
fish  would  come  aboard,  it  dashed  by  me  three 
feet  under  water,  canted  upward  at  an  angle  that 


Tbe  Tarpon  249 

caught  the  sun's  rays,  a  blaze  of  silver,  and  before 
the  boatman  could  whirl  the  skiff  about  I  saw  it 
gleaming  in  the  sunlight  over  my  shoulder,  high 
in  air  again ;  then,  despite  my  pressure  on  the 
rubber  brake,  it  was  away,  fifty,  a  hundred  feet, 
literally  to  rise  into  the  empyrean  like  a  bird 
again  and  again,  and  with  wide-open  gills  en- 
deavor to  throw  the  deadly  hook  from  its  jaws. 

While  I  was  trolling,  ten-pounders,  here  called 
skipjacks,  were  darting  into  the  air,  their  leaps 
being  very  similar  to  those  of  the  crazed  tarpons. 
For  fifteen  minutes  or  more  this  gamy  creature 
fought  and  leaped,  then  coming  to  gaff  with  vigor- 
ous protest,  and  was  only  landed  in  the  skiff  after 
great  difficulty,  though  only  five  feet  three  inches 
in  length. 

Having  taken  all  the  tarpons  I  desired,  I 
devoted  my  time  to  observations  of  the  vaulting 
feats  of  this  gallant  and  spectacular  fish.  Those 
who  have  read  the  lines  on  tuna  jumping  will, 
perhaps,  have  noticed  my  reticence,  as  I  realize 
how  easily  one  may  be  mistaken ;  and  in  the  case 
of  the  tarpon  I  have  the  same  hesitation,  yet  fear 
I  may  do  injustice  to  this  marvellous  jumper  if  I 
do  not  refer  to  it.  I  was  particularly  desirous 
to  determine  the  effect  of  the  side  swing  of  the 


250  Big  Game  Fishes 

tarpon  in  mid-air  on  a  taut  line,  and  began  trolling 
with  a  line  not  over  fifteen  feet  out  —  a  seeming 
absurdity ;  yet  my  boatman  assured  me  that  along 
the  jetty  this  was  often  effective,  and  he  was  a  true 
prophet.  The  strike  soon  came  and  I  responded 
at  once,  possibly  giving  the  fish  the  benefit  of  a 
foot  by  dropping  my  tip  before  striking,  then 
repeating  it  twice  at  least ;  in  a  word,  attempting 
to  hook  the  tarpon  as  I  would  a  tuna  on  the 
instant.  In  every  instance  this  was  successful, 
and  I  did  not  miss  hooking  a  fish,  trolling  at  a 
speed  of  two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour ;  those  lost, 
with  one  exception,  were  while  I  was  towing  them 
in  after  I  had  brought  them  to  the  boat  —  a  dis- 
agreeable process  and  one  that  would  be  unneces- 
sary if  a  good  raft  was  anchored  in  the  lee  of  the 
jetty.  When  I  hooked  a  fish  with  the  short  line, 
it  went  into  air  so  near  the  boat  that  my  boatman 
feared  that  it  was  coming  aboard ;  but,  fortunately, 
I  was  able  quickly  to  give  the  reel  handle  a  twirl 
so  that  the  fish  was  in  mid-air  with  a  taut  line. 
The  tarpon  had  its  mouth  and  gills  open,  and  as 
nearly  as  I  could  judge  it  made  two  convulsive 
lateral  swings  before  it  fell,  merely  jerking  a  foot 
of  my  line  from  the  reel,  the  anti-overrunning  drag 
coming  into  play  here.  The  fish  dropped  heavily, 


The  Tarpon  251 

and  I  held  it  with  all  my  strength,  right  thumb  on 
the  reel-pad  and  left  thumb  and  forefinger  on  the 
line  above  the  reel,  stopping  the  tarpon  despite 
its  struggles  and  resulting,  as  I  had  expected,  in 
another  frantic  leap  almost  alongside. 

This  jump  may  have  been  seven  or  eight  feet. 
I  attempted  to  throw  the  fish  from  its  position  in 
mid-air  merely  as  an  experiment,  but  failed  to  effect 
it ;  with  a  heavy  line  this  could  easily  be  done, 
from  all  of  which  I  deduce  that  with  a  good  drag 
there  is  no  reason  why  a  taut  line  should  not  be 
kept  when  the  tarpon  is  in  air.  As  to  the  height 
the  tarpon  attains  when  leaping,  Mr.  Waddell 
states  that  he  saw  a  fish,  hooked  by  Mr.  L.  G. 
Murphy  of  Converse,  Indiana,  make  an  initial  leap 
of  twelve  feet  and  follow  it  with  six  leaps  all 
equally  high.  He  says,  "  The  ordinary  height  a 
tarpon  leaps  is  from  seven  to  eight  feet."  This 
agrees  with  my  observations,  and  that  the  fish 
attains  the  highest  jumps  of  the  tuna  is  shown 
by  the  statement  of  Mr.  Mason. 

The  time  of  my  visit  was  considered  an  un- 
fortunate one,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  recent 
floods  had  filled  the  water  with  mud,  which  seri- 
ously interfered  with  the  fishing ;  yet,  at  its  worst, 
I  doubt  if  there  is  anywhere  else  such  tarpon- 


252  Big  Game  Fishes 

fishing  or  so  many  fish  constantly  in  evidence. 
This  is  best  illustrated  by  some  of  the  records 
of  the  Tarpon  Club  and  the  Tarpon  Inn.  Up  to 
August  8,  1902,  the  rod  catch  of  the  latter  place  in 
the  half  season  was  over  three  hundred,  and  Mr. 
J.  R.  Wainwright  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  had 
taken  one  hundred  and  seventy-four  fish,  ranging 
up  to  six  feet  in  length,  his  best  catch  being  thir- 
teen in  one  day,  the  fish  ranging  from  five  feet 
ten  inches  to  six  feet  three  inches.  A  number  of 
ladies  have  made  records  at  the  Tarpon  Club,  and 
Miss  Houston,  daughter  of  Judge  Houston,  vice- 
president  of  the  club,  killed  the  record  fish  of 
the  season  of  1902  after  a  hard  contest  with  the 
gamy  silver  king,  which  was  six  feet  six  inches  in 
length.  Miss  Hampton,  daughter  of  General  Wade 
Hampton,  brought  fifteen  tarpons  to  gaff  during 
her  visit  to  the  club. 

Not  alone  in  Texas  do  ladies  hold  records,  as 
previous  to  the  capture  of  the  two-hundred-and- 
ten-pound  tarpon  at  Captiva  Pass  by  Mr.  Edwin 
vom  Hofe,  the  record  was  held  by  Mrs.  George  T. 
Stagg  of  Kentucky,  who,  single-handed,  brought 
to  gaff  in  May,  1901,  a  silver  king  which  weighed 
two  hundred  and  five  pounds. 

From  July  20  to  August  17,   1901,  Mr.  J.  T. 


Tbe  Tarpon  253 

Mason  of  Denver  took  eighty  tarpons  at  Aransas 
Pass,  and  his  record  for  1902  was  even  more 
remarkable.  Mr.  Mason  observed  a  tarpon  leap 
fifteen  feet  over  a  boat  containing  two  men,  clear- 
ing the  men's  heads  by  ten  feet;  and  doubtless 
this  is  sometimes  exceeded.  If  the  records  of  this 
exciting  fishing-ground  could  all  be  told,  they 
would  test  the  credulity  of  many  who  do  not  go 
down  to  the  sea  to  fish.  Judge  Houston  and  a 
friend  landed  nineteen  tarpons  in  two  and  a  half 
days'  fishing,  which  is  a  remarkable  feat  when 
the  activity  of  the  fish  is  considered. 

The  fishing  at  Aransas  Pass  is  mainly  trolling, 
and  nearly  all  fish  not  desired  as  trophies  are  towed 
to  the  beach,  hauled  up,  measured,  and  after  a 
scale  is  taken,  released.  Few  fish  are  weighed 
here.  If  the  angler  is  curious  as  to  the  weight  of 
his  catch,  he  uses  the  following  formula,  which 
gives  a  good  general  average :  Weight  in  pounds 
is  equal  to  the  square  of  the  maximum  girth  in 
inches,  multiplied  by  the  length  in  inches,  divided 
by  eight  hundred.  The  Texas  tarpon  is  by  no 
means  particular  as  to  bait.  I  found  that  live  or 
stale  bait  was  equally  acceptable,  and  a  variety  of 
fishes  can  be  used  as  lures.  The  tarpons  begin 
to  gather  in  the  Pass  in  October,  and  the  first 


254  Big  Game  Fishes 

"  norther "  in  November  sends  them  south,  the 
season  closing  by  the  first  of  December,  when 
tarpons  appear  to  be  crowded  out  by  the  ducks. 
To  Dr.  H.  W.  Howe  of  Mexico  lovers  of  this 
strenuous  sport  are  indebted  for  the  discovery 
that  the  tarpon  winters  as  far  north  as  Tampico, 
and  that  there  is  excellent  fishing  here  in  January, 
February,  and  March ;  hence  the  travelling  angler 
can  find  tarpon  fishing  if  desired  every  month  in 
the  year,  between  Florida,  Texas,  and  Tampico. 

In  an  interesting  and  valuable  series  of  articles 
in  Forest  and  Stream,  Mr.  Waddell  gives  many 
interesting  facts  relating  to  this  gamy  fish  in  its 
winter  home.  He  believes  that  it  is  more  gamy 
at  that  season.  According  to  Mr.  Waddell,  the 
Mexican  tarpon  ascends  the  river  Panuco  forty 
or  fifty  miles,  and  a  small  one  was  taken  in  the 
Papaloapam  River  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles  from  the  Gulf.  The  Mexican  tarpon  record, 
according  to  the  same  authority,  is  a  two-hundred- 
and-twenty-three-pound  fish,  six  feet  eight  inches 
in  length,  caught  at  Tampico  by  Dr.  Howe  of  the 
city  of  Mexico. 

This  catch  will  stand  as  the  world's  record.  In 
a  letter  to  me  Dr.  Howe  said :  "  My  fish  weighed 
223  pounds  six  hours  after  it  was  caught,  Its 


The  Tarpon  255 

length  was  only  six  feet  eight  inches,  but  it  was 
built  more  like  a  jewfish  than  a  tarpon  [that  is, 
very  deep].  It  showed  its  head  above  water 
but  twice."  Dr.  Howe  played  this  record  fish 
from  eight  in  the  morning  until  half-past  eleven, 
or  three  hours  and  a  half,  before  it  was  brought 
to  gaff. 

The  Texas  tarpon,  like  other  fishes,  varies 
much,  some  medium-sized  fishes  making  a  fight 
that  involves  the  angler  in  a  long  and  arduous 
contest.  One,  despite  his  efforts,  took  Mr.  Cotter 
of  Tarpon  down  the  Gulf  coast  through  the 
breakers  for  several  miles.  Others  are  brought 
to  gaff  in  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  minutes,  and 
if  the  shark  was  not  a  factor  to  be  considered,  a 
number  fifteen  or  eighteen  cuttyhunk  line  would 
be  admirably  adapted  to  the  sport ;  but  when  a 
shark  appears  as  a  contestant,  demanding  its 
pound  of  flesh,  sometimes  the  entire  spoils,  it  is 
necessary  to  force  the  fighting,  which  can  be  done 
with  a  number  twenty-one  cuttyhunk  line  and  a 
short  rod. 

The  tarpon  angler  will  be  puzzled  by  the  differ- 
ent weights  of  fish  of  nearly  the  same  length.  I 
brought  to  gaff  a  tarpon  which  I  estimated  was 
six  feet  in  length,  yet  it  was  long  and  slender,  and 


256  Big  Game  Fishes 

its  weight  doubtless  not  over  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds.  Mr.  vom  Hofe's  record  fish  was 
but  six  feet  eleven  inches,  yet  weighed  two  hun- 
dred and  ten  pounds;  and  Dr.  Howe's  tarpon, 
which  weighed  two  hundred  and  twenty-three 
pounds,  was  three  inches  shorter  than  the  above. 
The  truth  is,  that  the  maximum  length  of  the  tar- 
pon is  about  eight  feet,  a  long,  slender  fish ;  but 
mature  fishes,  or  those  which  have  had  very  favor- 
able food  conditions,  fill  out,  become  exceedingly 
robust,  thus  materially  adding  to  their  weight 
without  affecting  the  length. 

The  midsummer  tarpon  grounds  of  Aransas 
Pass  are  tempered  by  a  cool,  constant  breeze. 
The  health  conditions  are  apparently  perfect, 
with  a  complete  absence  of  malarial  taint  and 
few,  if  any,  mosquitoes.  In  fishing  from  eight 
to  twelve,  or  four  hours,  daily,  and  sometimes  in 
the  afternoon,  the  angler  may  expect  to  take 
from  one  to  five  tarpons  a  day.  In  a  month's 
fishing  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Mason,  referred  to,  he  drew 
but  two  blanks.  On  nine  days  he  took  four  fish 
and  over.  On  eleven  days  he  took  either  two  or 
three  daily.  This,  with  the  remarkable  average 
of  Mr.  Wainwright,  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  tarpons  for  but  half  of  the  season  of  1902 


The  Tarpon  257 

or  up  to  August  8,  will  give  the  reader  a  fair  idea 
of  the  possibilities  of  sport  in  this  part  of  Texas. 

This  chapter  gives  experiences  in  fishing  in 
Florida  and  Texas,  but  possibly  the  would-be 
tarpon  angler  and  novice  may  desire  some  explicit 
directions,  which,  however,  are  naturally  influenced 
by  personal  likes  and  dislikes.  I  have  frequently 
in  these  pages  voiced  the  sentiment  that  anglers 
obtain  the  fullest  enjoyment  in  the  possession  of 
their  own  tackle,  and  that  it  often  means  the  cap- 
ture of  the  fish  goes  without  saying.  We  may 
assume,  then,  that  the  layman  has  been  enthused 
to  the  tarpon-taking  point  and  looks  about  him 
for  an  outfit.  Many  experienced  tarpon  anglers 
advise  the  making  of  tackle,  that  is,  the  snell  or 
leader,  some  even  making  rods.  I  note  that  Mr. 
Mason  made  his  own  rod.  A  very  successful  rod 
can  be  made  by  selecting  a  good  bamboo  pole, 
cutting  it  down  to  seven  feet,  buying  a  reel  seat 
and  German  silver  guides  and  attaching  them; 
yet  I  would  not  advise  it.  Good  tarpon  rods  are 
works  of  art,  and  they  are  produced  by  experts  in 
their  line  by  the  great  tackle  dealers  of  the  country. 
In  this  sport  one  wishes  to  take  no  chances,  hence 
I  would  suggest  to  the  would-be  angler  to  buy  or 
order  from  some  one  of  the  old  firms  a  tarpon  rod 


258  Big  Game  Fishes 

complete.  Personally  I  am  an  advocate  of  rods 
longer  than  those  generally  made  for  the  purpose, 
and  have  demonstrated  that  tarpon  can  be  taken 
with  them  ;  but  the  regulation  rod  is  of  noib  wood, 
greenheart,  or  split  bamboo.  I  would  suggest 
the  first  —  a  species  of  greenheart  of  excellent 
properties.  One  which  I  have  used  has  a  short, 
hard  rubber,  silver-mounted  butt,  with  a  long  tip 
with  double  bell-guides,  and  is  six  feet  nine  inches 
in  length  and  weighs  twenty-six  ounces.  With 
one  tip  the  rod  costs  $17;  with  two  tips  $22.  An 
excellent  rod  is  made  of  split  bamboo;  indeed, 
Mr.  vom  Hofe  took  a  six-hundred-pound  fish 
with  a  standard  tarpon  rod  of  split  bamboo  seven 
feet  in  length.  Another  noib-wood  tarpon  rod  is 
seven  feet  three  inches  and  weighs  twenty-four 
ounces.  My  best  tarpon  rod  was  eight  and  a  half 
feet  in  length,  but  the  novice  should  remember 
that  the  difficulties  in  landing  a  fish  increase  with 
the  length  of  the  rod.  One  rod  of  this  kind  is  suf- 
ficient, though  two  are  better,  and  they  should 
be  carried  in  a  stiff  leather  rod  case  made  for  the 
purpose.  How  much  depends  upon  a  reel  every 
veteran  angler  knows,  and  there  is  but  one  for 
this  fishing,  the  best ;  not  necessarily  the  highest- 
priced,  but  one  of  a  make  that  has  stood  the  test. 


The  Tarpon  259 

A  cheap  reel  will  go  to  pieces  sooner  or  later. 
The  desirable  reel  costs  from  twenty  dollars  up- 
ward. It  must  hold  six  hundred  feet  of  wet 
twenty-one  cuttyhunk  line,  or  some  good  line  of 
equivalent  size.  It  can  be  fitted  with  one  of  the 
several  good  drags  on  the  market  if  desired,  and 
should  have  a  leather  or  rubber  thumb-pad  fas- 
tened to  the  cross-bar  to  press  against  the  line. 
The  line  must  be  of  the  best  quality ;  a  number 
eighteen  is  large  enough  for  a  cool,  skilful  angler, 
and  with  it  the  largest  fish  can  be  killed ;  but  for 
an  angler  in  his  novitiate  a  number  twenty-one  or 
twenty-four  is  better.  Such  lines  cost  from  three 
and  a  half  to  four  dollars  —  and  the  fisherman  will 
do  well  to  have  several,  especially  if  the  fishing  is 
away  from  the  haunts  of  men  or  dealers.  In  the 
matter  of  hooks,  quality  and  quantity  both  must 
be  observed.  The  Van  Vleck  is  a  favorite  with 
all  tarpon  anglers,  and  is  the  result  of  keen  and 
intelligent  observation  on  the  part  of  an  ardent 
tarpon  angler.  The  10/0  O'Shaughnessy  is  an 
excellent  hook.  The  latter  is  fastened  to  a  leader 
or  snell  of  phosphor-bronzed  wire  at  least  five  feet 
in  length,  divided  into  three  lengths,  each  con- 
nected by  a  swivel.  The  angler  can  make  his 
own  leaders,  If  so,  a  small  vise,  and  pincers  of 


260  Big  Game  Fishes 

several  kinds  and  a  supply  of  wire  are  necessary. 
This  gives  one  something  to  do  on  rainy  or  off 
days ;  but  I  believe  I  am  offering  good  advice 
when  I  suggest  that  the  angler  lay  in  a  supply  of 
ready-made  leaders,  several  dozen  at  least  from 
the  best  makers.  These  will  cost  from  fifty  to 
eighty  cents  apiece  complete.  I  would  suggest 
that  the  angler  have  a  box  made  by  some  dealer 
which  will  hold  the  reel  in  the  centre  and  on  the 
sides  the  lines  and  mounted  hooks.  There  should 
be  room  in  this  box  for  a  revolver,  several  pincers, 
a  set  of  miniature  tools, —  the  kind  which  stow  in 
the  handle,  —  a  flat  file,  a  patent  oiler,  a  piece  of 
chamois  skin  for  the  reel,  some  sandpaper,  a 
knife  of  bowie  type,  a  few  pipe  sinkers,  a  brass 
line  drier,  some  fine  copper  wire,  a  spool  of  silk 
for  repairing,  sticking  plaster,  and  some  simple 
remedy  for  abrasions,  etc.  These  can  be  so  stowed 
that  the  convenient  "  grip  "  holds  all  the  necessary 
articles  except  the  rod.  If  the  angler  is  going 
away  from  well-known  grounds  I  would  suggest 
a  gaff,  spear,  shark-line,  and  several  hooks.  On 
the  reef  my  boat  was  equipped  with  all  these  ap- 
pliances and  I  frequently  found  them  convenient. 
In  making  up  such  a  box  the  novice  can  obtain 
the  advice  of  the  dealer,  who  should  be  familiar 


The  Tarpon  261 

from  personal  experience  with  all  the  fishing- 
grounds.  A  leather  rod-rest  or  socket  is  a  con- 
venience. They  come  for  the  boat  seat  or  waist 
and  cost  from  two  to  three  dollars.  One  for  the 
seat  is  not  only  a  luxury  but  a  necessity.  Such 
an  equipment,  and  it  may  be  varied,  will  be  a 
pleasure  aside  from  its  actual  use,  and  if  the  fish- 
ing is  in  out-of-the-way  parts  of  Florida,  it  is  almost 
essential,  though  at  some  points  good  tackle  can 
be  purchased.  At  Aransas  Pass  the  best  tarpon 
tackle  is  for  sale,  but  if  the  angler  is  starting  from 
New  York,  he  will  have  better  "luck"  to  equip 
there,  thus  taking  no  chances,  as  small  dealers 
are  liable  to  be  out  of  certain  rods  or  reels. 

Arriving  at  the  grounds,  the  angler  selects  his 
boatman,  a  man  of  experience,  in  a  short  time 
learning  the  peculiarities  of  the  grounds.  On  the 
morning  appointed  he  finds  himself  in  the  Pass. 
The  rod-rest  is  screwed  on  to  the  seat  between  his 
legs.  The  line  which  has  been  stretched,  if  new, 
the  night  before,  is  wet ;  and  the  boatman  lashes 
the  reel  to  the  rod  whether  it  has  a  patent  fastener 
or  not,  reeves  the  line,  fastens  the  snell  to  it,  and 
baits  the  hook,  while  the  angler,  seated  in  a  com- 
fortable chair,  reels  off  the  line  with  his  left  hand 
the  number  of  feet  suggested  by  the  well-posted 


262  Big  Game  Fishes 

boatman,  —  it  may  be  forty  and  it  may  be  fifteen. 
I  hooked  several  tarpons  with  the  latter  length, 
and  saw  the  magnificent  leaps  close  aboard,  too 
close  for  actual  comfort  if  the  truth  were  told. 
The  angler  now  holds  the  rod  across  his  lap,  point- 
ing over  the  quarter  to  port  and  slightly  up,  never 
astern,  and  at  its  best  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the 
boat.  His  right  thumb  rests  upon  the  thumb- 
brake,  the  left  grasps  the  cork-grip  above  the 
reel.  The  boatman  is  rowing  at  a  speed  of  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  an  hour,  and  if  he  is  the  man 
I  take  him  to  be,  he  is  rich  in  expedients  in  ward- 
ing off  ennui.  At  the  exact  moment  the  novice 
begins  to  be  discouraged  he  invariably  sees  a  tar- 
pon, or  hears  one  grunt  or  puff,  and  thus  deftly 
carries  the  angler  along,  keeping  him  on  the  alert 
until  the  strike  really  comes.  This  is  an  epoch 
in  the  angler's  life,  a  bright  moment  in  what  Byron 
terms  that  "  solitary  vice  "  of  angling.  What  to 
do  and  how  to  do  it  well  is  the  question.  If  the 
angler  follows  my  suggestion,  he  will  sway  the 
point  forward,  then  strike  at  once ;  but  if  he  accepts 
the  dictum  of  many  others  with  possibly  far  more 
experience,  he  will  give  some  line,  on  the  ground 
that  as  the  interior  of  the  mouth  of  the  tarpon  is 
hard  and  bony,  it  must  swallow  the  hook,  which 


The  Tarpon  263 

will  become  impaled  in  the  throat.  I  may  be 
hypercritical,  but  I  would  rather  lose  a  fish  than 
play  it  with  my  hook  embedded  deep  in  its  throat. 
If  the  hook  strikes  an  impenetrable  portion  of  the 
jaw,  it  will,  especially  if  two  or  three  strikes  are 
made,  slide  along  and  find  a  soft  place  in  the  angle 
of  the  jaw ;  at  least  I  have  rarely  failed  to  hook 
my  fish  when  trolling,  by  striking  at  once ;  and 
with  apologies  to  other  and  better  anglers,  I  com- 
mend the  quick  strike,  and  by  strike  I  mean  the 
retort  courteous  to  the  "  bite  "  of  the  tarpon.  It 
must  not  be  a  jerk  but  a  powerful  backward  sway, 
the  thumb  pressing  hard  upon  the  leather  brake. 
The  fish  will  at  once  jerk  away;  but  the  angler 
can  repeat  the  strike  from  one  to  three  times, 
thus  "setting"  the  hook  in  its  jaw.  The  fish 
struggles  violently,  and  the  angler  holds  the  rod 
up  as  firmly  as  possible,  "  giving  the  butt,"  then 
slipping  it  into  the  leather  socket.  At  this  pre- 
cise moment  the  well-regulated  tarpon  should  go 
into  the  air  from  three  to  twelve,  or  more,  feet 
—  a  bewildering,  dazzling  vision,  the  silver  king 
of  vaulters,  and  fight  and  struggle 

"  Till  floating  broad  upon  his  breathless  side, 
And  to  his  fate  abandon'd,  to  the  shore 
You  gayly  drag  your  unresisting  prize." 


264  Big  Game  Fishes 

Despite  all  efforts  to  hold  it,  it  breaks  away, 
and  to  the  merry  jangle  of  the  reel  goes  bound- 
ing along  half  across  the  channel,  tearing  the 
line  from  the  reel,  until  the  novice  is  amazed  at 
the  strength  and  power  of  the  fish.  Up  into  the 
air  it  goes,  again  and  again,  and  with  two  hun- 
dred feet  gone  the  angler  stops  it  and  begins  to 
reel,  and  here  often  meets  his  Waterloo.  The 
angler  should  be  perfectly  cool,  prepared  to  trans- 
fer hand  from  brake  to  reel  handle  and  back  with 
great  rapidity;  he  must  not  hold  the  fish  by 
the  reel  handle  —  often  a  great  temptation;  the 
rushes  must  be  stopped  by  the  thumb  and  upper 
hand  pressure,  and  the  moment  this  is  accom- 
plished seize  the  reel  handle  and  turn,  then  drop 
the  tip  to  the  water's  edge,  or  very  low ;  and  with 
both  hands,  the  right  on  the  brake,  lift  steadily 
back  until  the  rod  is  vertical,  then  lower  the  tip 
suddenly,  reeling  rapidly.  This  is  "pumping," 
already  referred  to,  and  by  it  the  angler  gains 
several  feet  with  ease;  in  fact,  deliberately  to 
reel  in  a  hard-fighting  tarpon  out  of  hand,  with- 
out resorting  to  this  expedient,  is  at  times  almost 
impossible.  By  a  series  of  short  "pumps"  the 
fish  comes  in  rapidly,  but  the  angler  should  be 
watchful,  as  the  fish,  if  it  is  thoroughly  game, 


The  Tarpon  265 

will  make  many  desperate  rushes  and  leaps 
which  seriously  interfere  with  the  best-laid  plans 
of  the  most  astute  angler ;  but  if  all  goes  well, 
in  from  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes  the  fish  should 
be  alongside.  The  angler  holds  it  firmly,  then 
passes  the  tip  of  his  rod  forward,  on  the  port 
side  if  he  is  right-handed,  and  the  game  swims 
into  the  field  of  the  gaffer,  the  angler's  right 
thumb  on  the  pad ;  the  left  hand  may  now  steal 
to  the  reel  to  overrun  a  foot  or  two  as  the  gaffer 
does  his  work,  but  he  should  hold  himself  well 
in  hand,  as  the  work  is  not  complete  until  the 
fish  is  in  the  boat ;  at  any  moment  it  is  liable  to 
make  a  rush  and  escape.  I  have  seen  a  large 
fish  leap  out  of  a  barrel  ten  minutes  after  it  had 
been  gaffed  and  its  capture  supposed  to  be  a 
closed  incident. 

If  the  fish  is  not  desired  as  a  trophy,  the  gaffer 
seizes  the  doubled  portion  of  the  line  and  holds 
it  at  the  gunwale,  inserts  a  short  gaff  just  beneath 
the  lower  jaw  and  holds  the  fish  while  it  is  un- 
hooked and  cast  off,  perhaps  to  be  caught  again. 
If  the  fish  is  to  be  kept,  the  gaffer  does  not 
touch  the  line,  nor  does  he  attempt  to  gaff  until 
the  fish  is  in  position ;  then  the  gaff  is  placed 
under  the  head  and  jerked  heavily  upward  be- 


266  Big  Game  Fisbes 

tween  the  gills  and  the  tip  of  the  jaw,  and  the 
fish's  head  held  partly  out  of  water  against 
the  boat,  while  it  struggles.  Some  anglers  kill  the 
game  with  a  revolver,  or  stun  it  with  a  club.  It 
is  a  dangerous  experiment  to  take  a  living  tarpon 
into  a  light  boat,  as  a  lusty  fish  will  wreck  a  skiff, 
and  has  been  known  to  throw  all  hands  over- 
board. Assuming  that  it  is  in  condition  to  take 
aboard,  the  boatman  steps  on  the  rail,  forcing  it 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  slides  the  fish  in  upon 
the  canvas  which  should  cover  the  bottom  of 
his  part  of  the  boat  and  which,  if  the  tarpon  still 
struggles,  can  be  thrown  over  it.  If  the  fish  is 
firmly  hooked,  the  boatman  now  cuts  the  line, 
or  unfastens  it,  and  baits  a  new  hook ;  hence  no 
time  is  lost  if  fish  are  biting. 

I  have  seen  tarpon  fishing  described  as  requir- 
ing no  skill,  but  no  more  laughable  picture  can 
be  seen  upon  the  high  seas,  no  more  helpless 
individual,  than  the  man  utterly  unfamiliar  with 
rod  and  reel  trying  to  land  a  big  game  fish; 
he  does  not  realize  it,  but  the  fish  is  having  all 
the  sport.  I  once  came  upon  a  Frenchman,  off 
the  bay  of  Avalon,  who  hailed  me ;  and  when  we 
went  alongside  he  was  clinging  desperately  to  a 
very  pliable  impossible  bamboo  rod,  his  back 


The  Tarpon  267 

bent  into  a  bow,  and  on  his  knees,  holding  on  to 
a  tuna  which  was  somewhere  down  in  the  deep 
channel.  The  fisherman's  face  was  red,  the  veins 
stood  out  upon  it  like  cords,  and  perspiration 
rained  down.  "  Ze  man  who  invented  zis  tunare 
fishing,  he  ought  to  be  in  zee  jail,"  he  cried. 
"Come  and  take  me  off  heem,  will  you?  For 
hours  I  have  heem ;  he  take  my  fingare  nail,  he 
take  my  skin ;  he  take  me  next.  Zis  is  not  fish- 
ing, zis  is  Hades." 

The  Frenchman  would  not  allow  his  boatman 
to  interfere,  as  he  thought  he  had  a  record  fish,  and 
he  had  been  trying  for  hours  to  reel  it  in ;  when 
it  did  come  up,  through  the  efforts  of  my  boat- 
man and  myself,  and  was  found  to  weigh  but 
eighty  pounds,  the  woe  and  rage  of  that  French- 
man passed  all  understanding. 

The  angler  at  Aransas  Pass  will  find  the  cus- 
tom holds  of  towing  the  fish  to  the  beach  —  a 
most  laborious  habit  and  unnecessary  if  the  boat- 
man has  a  large  wide-beamed  boat,  when  the 
largest  tarpon  can  be  held  at  the  rail,  the  hook 
dislodged,  or  the  game  killed  and  taken  aboard 
with  ease  by  a  boatman  who  understands  his 
business.  A  green  hand,  or  a  nervous  man, 
should  be  avoided,  as  such  an  one  will  lose  his 


268  Big  Game  Fishes 

head  at  a  difficult  gaffing  and  strike  at  or  down 
upon  a  fish,  and  so  cut  the  line  —  a  crime  of 
sinister  character,  for  which  the  code  provides  no 
adequate  punishment,  especially  after  a  fish  has 
been  played  for  several  hours. 

One  of  the  charms  of  tarpon,  as  well  as  tuna, 
angling  is  that  it  is  preeminently  a  social  pas- 
time. Often  fifteen  or  twenty  boats  are  grouped 
within  hailing  or  signalling  distance,  and  the  man 
who  has  no  strikes  is  regaled  with  the  vaulting 
fish  of  more  fortunate  anglers,  and  the  sight. of 
four  or  five  tarpons  in  the  air  at  once  is  a  most 
exhilarating  scene ;  yet  Byron  in  "  Don  Juan " 
refers  to  angling  as  a  solitary  vice. 

"...  angling,  too,  that  solitary  vice, 
Whatever  Izaak  Walton  sings  or  says ; 
The  quaint,  old,  cruel  coxcomb,  in  his  gullet 
Should  have  a  hook,  and  a  small  trout  to  pull  it." 

There  were  many  delights  which  did  not  enter 
the  soul  of  the  great  poet,  almost  the  only  man 
of  distinction  to  denounce  angling.  Yet  we  may 
pardon  him,  as  he  appears  to  except  the  tuna  and 
would  probably  commend  the  tarpon  had  he 
known  this  noble  fish.  His  honest  dislike  for 
angling  is  well  worth  quoting,  and  in  a  note  to 


Tbe  Tarpon  269 

the  condemning  lines  in  "  Don  Juan"  he  writes: 
"  It  would  have  taught  him  humanity  at  least. 
This  sentimental  savage,  whom  it  is  a  mode  to 
quote  (amongst  the  novelists)  to  show  their  sym- 
pathy for  innocent  sports  and  old  songs,  teaches 
us  how  to  sew  up  frogs  and  break  their  legs,  by 
way  of  experiment,  in  addition  to  the  art  of 
angling  —  the  cruelest,  the  coldest,  and  stupidest 
of  pretended  sports.  They  may  talk  about  the 
beauties  of  nature,  but  the  angler  merely  thinks 
of  the  dish  of  fish ;  he  has  no  leisure  to  take  his 
eyes  off  from  the  streams,  and  a  single  bite  is 
worth,  to  him,  more  than  all  the  scenery  around. 
Besides,  some  fish  bite  on  a  rainy  day.  The 
whale,  the  shark,  and  the  tunny  fishing  have  some- 
what of  noble  and  perilous  in  them;  even  net 
fishing,  trawling,  etc.,  are  more  humane  and  use- 
ful —  but  angling !  No  angler  can  be  a  good  man." 
After  writing  this  Byron  appears  to  have  re- 
called the  fact  that  he  had  a  friend  addicted  to 
angling,  and  we  find  the  following :  "One  of  the 
best  men  I  ever  knew  —  as  humane,  delicate- 
minded,  generous,  and  excellent  a  creature  as  any 
in  the  world,  was  an  angler.  True,  he  angled 
with  painted  flies,  and  would  have  been  incapa- 
ble of  the  extravagance  of  I.  Walton."  In  a 


270  Big  Game  Fishes 

third  note  he  explains  that  "  The  above  addition 
was  made  by  a  friend  in  reading  over  the  Ms. 
Audi  alterant  par  tern — I  leave  it  to  counterbal- 
ance my  own  observation." 

In  tarpon  angling  when  there  are  many  boats 
in  a  small  area  there  holds  an  unwritten  code  of 
courtesies  which,  indeed,  applies  to  all  fishing, 
and  which  may  be  mentioned.  Thus  it  is  the 
rule  not  to  anchor  near  another  boat  unless  re- 
quested. When  a  fish  is  hooked,  other  anglers 
should  give  the  player  the  field.  When  two  men 
are  fishing  in  the  same  boat  the  other  should  reel 
in  at  once.  To  cross  the  line  or  foul  that  of  a 
fellow-angler  is  a  gross  discourtesy,  and  it  is 
equally  criminal  to  talk  to  a  man  playing  a  fish, 
either  to  gibe  or  congratulate.  Social  amenities 
find  no  place  at  this  strenuous  moment.  It  is 
well  not  to  borrow  bait  or  tackle  on  the  ground, 
as  the  average  angler  will  gladly  respond,  and 
it  has  happened  that  the  fishing  days  of  two, 
instead  of  one,  have  been  spoiled  by  the  negli- 
gence of  one  boatman  to  secure  bait;  a  boat 
should  not  put  out  without  an  abundance  of  bait 
and  a  perfect  equipment.  It  need  not  be  said 
that  these  suggestions  are  advanced  to  a  would- 
be  angler  or  novice.  Nowhere  in  the  world  of 


The  Tarpon  271 

sport  is  found  a  warmer  fellow-feeling,  greater 
hospitality,  and  more  courteous  camaraderie  than 
among  the  gentlemen  of  the  rod  on  the  great 
fishing-grounds  of  America. 

To  Dr.  H.  W.  Howe  of  the  city  of  Mexico  and 
Mr.  J.  A.  L.  Waddell  of  Kansas  City,  anglers  are 
indebted  for  information  regarding  the  midwinter 
tarpon  fishing  at  Tampico,  Mexico,  an  unsigned 
and  interesting  paper  on  the  subject  appearing  in 
Modern  Mexico  in  May,  1901,  to  which  I  am  in- 
debted for  the  data  herewith  given.  Dr.  Howe 
wrote  me  that  he  has  hooked  several  tarpons  here 
which  he  could  not  handle ;  hence,  the  tarpons  of 
Tampico  are  of  large  size.  The  season  is  from 
November  i  to  April,  the  time  when  the  tarpon 
practically  disappears  from  Florida  and  Texas. 
The  tarpons  are  not  only  very  large  but  are  found 
in  vast  numbers.  Some  mornings  during  his 
visits  there  could  be  seen  hundreds  of  fishes 
within  fifteen  minutes  by  boat  from  the  hotel. 
Mr.  Waddell  in  eleven  days  in  December  at 
Tampico  landed  twenty-four  tarpons,  fifty-nine 
jack-fish,  and  two  jewfish,  weighing  in  all  thirty- 
five  hundred  pounds;  the  largest  tarpon  meas- 
ured six  feet  ten  inches.  In  March  he  landed 
six  tarpons  here  in  one  day.  Mr.  A.  B.  Ross  in 


272  Big  Game  Fishes 

six  hours  caught  four  tarpons.  In  the  Forest 
and  Stream  of  July  26,  1902,  Mr.  Waddell  gives 
in  detail  much  interesting  data  relating  to  the 
fishing  here,  and  states  that  the  Tampico  tarpons 
"  strike  more  voraciously  than  do  those  at  Aran- 
sas,  and  I  believe  they  fight  harder  and  jump 
higher.  One  that  I  had  on  this  last  trip  jumped 
fully  twelve  feet." 

From  this  it  appears  that  Tampico  is  a  profitable 
field  for  the  wandering  angler  during  the  winter 
season  in  the  United  States,  and  as  thirteen  of 
Mr.  Waddell's  fish  averaged  six  feet  in  length, 
they  do  not  lack  in  this  important  particular. 
Aside  from  good  sport  at  Tampico  the  angler  will 
find  attractive  surroundings.  Tampico  is  a  typical 
Mexican  city  of  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  stands  on  a  bluff,  overlooking  the  Panuco  River, 
at  which  point  this  fine  stream  is  fifteen  hundred 
yards  wide.  The  river  enters  the  Gulf  at  Point 
La  Barra,  about  five  miles  from  Tampico,  where 
there  are  fine  jetties.  The  fish  are  found  at  their 
best  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  the  city  and 
where  the  Tamesi  flows  into  the  Panuco.  The 
fishing-grounds  are  protected  from  the  ocean  here, 
and  ideal  conditions  found.  The  winter  climate 
of  Tampico  is  described  as  being  "  all  that  could 


The  Tarpon  273 

be  desired,  being  neither  warm  nor  cold."  The 
tarpon  season  is  not  the  rainy  season,  hence  the 
visitor  will  find  healthful  conditions  and,  to  quote 
the  language  of  Modern  Mexico,  the  climate  during 
the  season  described  is  "delightful."  Anglers 
proposing  to  visit  Tampico  should  take  their  own 
tackle,  and  doubtless  more  definite  information 
may  be  obtained  by  addressing  the  officials  or 
consuls  stationed  there. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE   BLACKFISH 

"When  chestnut  leaves  are  as  big  as  thumb  nails, 
Then  bite  blackfish  without  fail, 
But  when  chestnut  leaves  are  as  large  as  a  span, 
Then  catch  blackfish  if  you  can ! " 

THE  blackfish,  tautog,  Tautoga  onitis,  is  rarely 
referred  to  as  a  game  fish,  yet  few  members  of 
the  finny  tribe,  at  least  in  New  England  waters 
and  in  Long  Island  Sound,  afford  so  much 
pleasure  to  so  many  people.  The  tautog  is 
omnipresent,  and  the  angler  catches  the  smaller 
members  of  the  tribe  whether  or  no;  and  when 
the  water  is  fairly  shallow  and  the  fish  run 
large,  up  to  ten  and  fifteen  pounds,  the  black- 
fish,  if  it  is  approached  with  light  tackle,  will 
surprise  the  angler.  Such  a  location  and  such 
fish  I  found  at  Fisher's  Island,  Long  Island 
Sound,  and  similar  localities  are  known  all 
alongshore.  While  the  blackfish  is  in  America 
a  very  democratic,  not  to  say  plebeian,  crea- 

274 


The  Blackfisb  275 

ture,  it  is  of  aristocratic  lineage.  The  scarus  of 
Europe  is  its  foreign  representative,  and  the 
ancient  Romans  gave  it  many  high-sounding 
names,  one  of  which  was  Cerebrum  Jovis  Su- 
premi.  Aristotle  claimed  that  it  slept.  He 
wrote :  — 

"  Scarus  alone  their  folded  eyelids  close 
In  grateful  intervals  of  soft  repose 
In  some  sequestered  cell,  removed  from  sight 
They  doze  away  the  dangers  of  the  night." 

Pliny  repeats  this  interesting  statement,  add- 
ing that  it  is  the  chief  of  all  fishes.  Ovid  and 
Oppian  sang  its  praises  in  verse,  while  ^lian 
claimed  for  it  a  surpassing  love  for  its  young. 
Elipertius  expended  vast  sums  in  securing  the 
fish  for  the  wealthy  epicures  of  Rome.  Mar- 
tial was  so  fond  of  it  that  he  described  it  in 
verse,  while  Xenocrates  writes  of  the  viscera 
of  the  scarus  brought  directly  from  the  sea. 
His  favorite  dish  was  the  liver,  which,  with  the 
milt  of  murries,  the  brains  of  peacocks  and 
pheasants,  and  the  tongues  of  flamingoes,  was 
served  under  the  high-sounding  title  of  "  The 
shield  of  Minerva,"  given  it  by  Vitellius,  the 
famous  epicure.  At  a  Roman  dinner  it  was 
the  custom  to  exhibit  the  living  scarus  to  the 


276  Big  Game  Fishes 

guests,  that  they  might  be  assured  that  it  was 
fresh  and  directly  from  the  sea.  To-day  the 
American  scarus,  the  tautog,  is  disposed  of  in  a 
few  words  —  it  is  an  excellent  "chowder  fish." 
I  have  had  rare  sport  with  this  fish  at  the  Long 
Island  Sound  locality  referred  to.  It  makes  a 
hard  fight,  though  the  greatest  difficulty  gen- 
erally was  to  keep  the  bait  intact  until  a  large 
fish  took  it,  so  insistent  were  the  small  fish  and 
their  cousins,  the  "  cunners "  and  "  nippers." 
The  tautog  is  taken  at  Cape  Ann,  and  alongshore 
to  Chesapeake  Bay,  where  I  have  seen  it  at 
Old  Point,  and  doubtless  it  ranges  farther  south, 
specimens  having  been  carried  to  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  in  the  well  of  a  smack;  but  it 
is  not  found  in  great  quantities.  Around  New- 
port it  spawns  as  early  as  April,  and  from  then 
on  until  August.  I  have  heard  from  fishermen 
of  blackfish  weighing  forty  pounds,  but  a  fifteen- 
pound  fish  was  very  rare  in  my  fishing  experi- 
ences all  along  the  coast.  G.  Brown  Goode 
gives,  as  the  largest  specimen  known,  a  black- 
fish  which  weighed  twenty-two  and  a  half 
pounds.  This  was  three  feet  in  length,  and  is 
in  the  collection  of  the  National  Museum.  I 
have  had  fair  sport  with  this  fish  from  the 


The  Blackfisb  277 

rocks  with  a  rod,  off  Salem,  Massachusetts;  and 
all  alongshore,  wherever  rocky  bottom  and  fairly 
deep  water  are  found,  and  the  conditions  and  bait 
are  right,  this  sport  may  be  enjoyed. 

While  the  pollack  does  not  come  within  the 
proper  scope  or  range  of  this  volume,  and  is  not 
a  large  fish,  I  found  it  as  gamy  as  a  trout  at  Ogun- 
quit,  Maine.  Casting  from  the  rocks,  I  took  them 
with  a  green  fly,  as  well  as  bait ;  and  several  tips 
of  my  black  bass  split  bamboo  paid  the  penalty 
before  I  gauged  the  power  of  this  active  fish,  not 
as  well  known  or  appreciated  as  it  should  be. 

There  is  another  blackfish,  at  least  so  called,  in 
the  waters  about  Martha's  Vineyard,  the  sea-bass, 
Centropristes  striatus,  an  entirely  different  fish. 
It  belongs  to  the  family  Serranidae,  in  which  is 
included  the  splendid  striped  bass,  which  attains 
a  weight  of  one  hundred  pounds,  and  affords  rare 
sport  off  the  islands  of  southern  Massachusetts 
and  in  various  localities,  and  since  its  introduc- 
tion bidding  fair  to  become  the  famous  game  fish 
of  the  San  Francisco  region.  There  are  two 
species  of  sea-bass,  ranging  from  Cape  Ann  to 
Texas,  the  northern  species  being  found  north  of 
the  latitude  of  Hatteras.  The  southern  species 
is  common  at  Cedar  Keys,  St.  Marks,  and  other 


278  Big  Game  Fishes 

Gulf  coast  localities,  but  I  never  caught  it  out 
on  the  reef.  It  is  a  bottom  fish,  and  yet  affords 
many  people  a  vast  amount  of  sport  in  rod  fishing 
of  a  peculiar  kind  well  known  to  New  Yorkers. 
One  may  read  in  the  local  press  advertisements 
of  certain  steamers  which  in  the  summer  months 
go  daily  to  the  fishing-banks  outside  of  Sandy 
Hook.  These  banks  range  from  the  Highlands 
to  Long  Branch  and  beyond,  the  Cholera  Banks 
being  an  exceptionally  popular  ground  about 
twenty  miles  east  of  Sandy  Hook.  Going  aboard 
one  of  these  vessels,  the  angler  finds  an  array  of 
very  short  and  clublike  rods  with  heavy  reels, 
stout  lines  provided  with  heavy  sinkers,  and  abun- 
dance of  clam  or  fish  bait.  Once  on  the  ground, 
the  steamer  is  anchored,  rods  are  taken  in  hand, 
and  the  extraordinary  sight  witnessed  of  several 
hundred  men  fishing  with  rod  and  reel  in  deep 
water.  The  fish  bite  well,  and  the  sport  begins, 
sea-bass  from  four  to  seven  pounds  often  being 
the  largest  catch. 

There  are  a  number  of  little-known  fishes  of  the 
ocean  which,  if  the  angler  could  divest  himself 
of  certain  prejudices,  would  be  entitled  to  come 
under  the  term  "  game."  Thus  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornian  waters  the  halibut  of  large  size  is  often 


The  Blackfisb  279 

taken  in  shallow  water,  affording  sport  of  an 
exciting  nature.  I  have  often  seen  the  clumsy  fish 
charging  schools  of  sardines  with  all  the  zeal  of  a 
bass. 

If  sharks  were  to  be  included  among  the  game 
fishes,  some  remarkable  tales  might  be  told  of 
experiences  between  Florida  and  California ;  but 
probably  Mr.  Edwin  vom  Hofe  holds  the  record 
in  this  field  of  sport,  having  taken  a  six-hundred- 
pound  saw-fish  with  a  tarpon  rod  and  line.  Such 
catches  with  rods  suggest  an  enumeration  of 
strange  creatures  hooked  while  fishing  for  true 
game.  While  fishing  for  the  eastern  horse-mack- 
erel off  Boon  Island,  north  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals, 
I  hooked  a  sunfish  (Mola),  but  it  was  accidental. 
On  the  Florida  reef  while  trolling  for  barracuda 
I  once  caught  a  small  hawk's-bill  turtle.  In 
Avalon  Bay  I  hooked  a  sea-lion,  which  took  my 
bait,  and  I  played  the  large  animal  for  several 
moments.  I  thought  I  could  bring  it  to  the 
boat,  but  the  sea-lion  evidently  disagreed  with  me 
and  brought  the  proceedings  to  a  close  by  darting 
among  some  boats  and  breaking  the  line  on  an 
anchor  rope.  Few  swimmers  even  can  make  head- 
way against  a  man  with  a  light  rod  and  line.  Other 
catches  in  California,  which  are  often  made  by 


280  Big  Game  Fishes 

yellowtail  anglers,  are  gulls  and  cormorants,  and 
one  fisherman  distinguished  himself  by  hooking 
a  sea-eagle.  Another  played  a  young  black- 
fish,  which  must  have  weighed  half  a  ton,  a 
second  or  two,  while  another  angler's  hook  when 
trolling  caught  in  the  back  of  a  fifty-foot  Cali- 
fornia gray  whale,  —  illustrating  the  variety  that 
comes  into  the  life  of  the  rod  fisherman  in  many 
seas. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

THE  KINGFISH 

"  By  the  way,  old  Cotton's  instructions,  by  which  I  hoped  to 
qualify  myself  for  the  gentle  society  of  anglers,  are  not  worth  a 
farthing  for  this  meridian."  —  Redgauntlet. 

THE  deadly  monotony  of  a  "dead  calm  "  in  the 
tropics  can  be  appreciated  only  by  those  who 
have  sailed  the  seas  south  of  the  tropic  of  Cancer 
where  the  sun's  humor  is  fierce  and  uncompro- 
mising, and  the  wind  god  passes  his  summer  days 
in  a  long  siesta.  Our  trim  craft,  that  could  show 
her  heels  to  any  vessel  on  the  reef,  had  literally 
been  caught  napping.  The  wind  had  gradually 
dropped  until  we  floated  on  a  sea  of  glass,  the 
only  motion  on  its  surface  being  the  long  swell, 
the  remnant  of  some  recent  gale,  which  served  to 
swing  the  booms  from  side  to  side,  —  their  jaws 
uttering  weird  moans,  shrieks,  and  wailings,  as 
they  gripped  the  dry  masts,  which  did  not  add  to 
the  pleasantness  of  the  situation.  The  heat  was 
pitiless,  and  the  water  pouring  over  the  decks  out 

281 


282  Big  Game  Fishes 

through  the  scuppers  did  not  even  harden  the  tar 
which  oozed  up  from  every  seam. 

For  twenty-four  hours  we  drifted,  the  clear  rich 
blue  of  the  Gulf  Stream  offering  every  invitation ; 
but  the  dusky  shapes  of  a  number  of  "  man- 
eaters  "  barred  even  this  solace.  It  was  while 
thus  adrift,  thirty  miles  east  of  East  Key,  that 
Paublo  bethought  him  of  a  wind-raiser,  and  forth- 
with taking  a  belaying-pin,  hammered  vigorously 
on  the  foremast.  I  learned  later  that  this  was 
generally  infallible;  this  day  it  failed,  failed  to 
raise  the  wind,  but  as  the  captain  of  the  galley 
and  clever  boatman  replaced  the  pin,  the  smooth 
water  of  the  Gulf  broke  into  foam  not  two  hun- 
dred yards  away :  he  had  "  conjured  "  up  the  king- 
fish.  The  dinghy  was  drifting  astern,  and  it  took 
but  a  moment  to  grasp  rod  and  tumble  in.  Under 
Paublo's  strong  strokes  we  were  presently  in  the 
heart  of  the  school  from  which  I  took  my  first 
kingfish.  The  rod  was  so  well  fitted  for  the 
work  that  I  can  but  commend  it.  It  was  of  green- 
heart,  eight  feet  in  length,  of  two  joints,  and 
weighed  about  twenty  ounces.  The  line  was  a 
fine  linen,  number  twelve  cuttyhunk  —  a  mere 
thread  to  be  broken  at  the  slightest  mistake  ;  the 
hook,  a  6/0  Limerick,  with  a  long  copper  wire 


Tbe  Kingfisb  283 

leader  of  home  make.  The  bait  was  a  "  sliver  "  of 
the  belly  of  a  salt  kingfish,  about  four  inches 
long;  and  as  I  overreeled  and  paid  out,  this 
ancient  dainty  was  seized  not  fifteen  feet  from 
the  boat,  and  about  one  hundred  feet  of  line 
taken  with  a  single  rush.  How  the  steel  click 
told  the  story  in  metallic  shrieks !  finally  settling 
down  into  a  spasmodic  zip-zip-zip !  as  the  fish 
was  checked  by  the  brake.  Like  the  bonito 
it  played  upon  the  surface  not  five  feet  under ; 
now  on  the  top,  making  side  rushes;  now  cir- 
cling the  boat,  bearing  off  until  the  rod  bent  to 
the  danger  point  and  the  delicate  line  hummed 
a  music  of  its  own ;  and  anon  going  into  the  air 
in  splendid  leaps.  For  five  or  six  minutes,  due 
perhaps  to  the  exigencies  of  the  situation,  the 
lightness  of  the  tackle,  the  kingfish  played  me, 
jerked  my  arms  down,  to  release  them  as  suddenly, 
shook  its  powerful  tail  at  me  in  derision,  plung- 
ing through  a  fleet  of  Portuguese  men-of-war  or 
cutting  through  the  chalice-like  form  of  some 
dainty  jellyfish  deeper  down,  but  almost  always 
on  the  surface,  and  moving  so  rapidly  that  the 
boatman  was  ever  on  the  alert  to  keep  the  light 
boat  stern  to  the  game.  The  water  was  alive 
with  fish  of  the  largest  size  feeding  on  a  vagrant 


284  Big  Game  Fishes 

school  of  small  fry,  and  there  was  constant  fear 
that  the  taut  line  would  be  cut  by  the  dorsal  fin 
of  some  fish. 

Two  hundred  feet  of  line  was  forced,  coaxed, 
torn  from  the  reel,  before  I  really  stopped  this  rois- 
tering plunger,  and  then  it  was  give  and  take,  a 
long  battle  in  which  the  banner  changed  sides 
more  than  once ;  the  fish  making  a  splendid  dis- 
play of  its  game  and  fighting  qualities,  which,  to 
me  at  least,  are  utterly  lost  when  the  fish  is  taken 
with  a  hand-line  after  a  fast-sailing  boat,  the  typi- 
cal method,  due,  perhaps  to  the  fact  that  the  king- 
fish  is  found  in  the  open  sea  or  where  the  water 
is  more  likely  to  be  rough.  Slowly  it  came  in, 
leaving  silvery  flashes  against  the  deep  blue  of  the 
Gulf,  fighting  every  inch  until  the  gaff  struck  it 
and  Paublo  lifted  it,  quivering,  upward,  his  eyes 
standing  out  in  amazement  at  the  size  of  the  fish 
and  the  mysterious  power  of  the  rod  and  thread- 
like line. 

"  Why,  mawster,"  he  said,  "  while  you  workin' 
datcher  wheel  I  could  wif  a  cast-line  [hand]  ketch 
fo'  or  five  kingfish." 

It  was  our  first  day's  fishing,  and  I  suspect  that 
Paublo  thought  that  I  "  did  not  have  all  that  be- 
longed to  my  upper  works,"  as  the  Conchs  ex- 


The  Kingfisb  285 

pressed  it ;  but  I  lived  to  see  him  a  derisive 
mocker  of  his  compatriots,  who  "  jerked  in"  game 
fish  with  a  ropelike  line,  or  did  not  give  the  game 
a  more  than  fighting  chance  for  its  life. 

The  fish  which  Paublo  held  up  in  the  sunlight 
for  my  inspection  was  one  of  the  two  or  three 
fishes  which  the  wreckers  and  fishermen  along 
the  outer  reef  called  "  king."  It  was  between  five 
and  six  feet  long ;  as  it  was  held  up  its  tail  rested 
on  the  boat  and  its  head  was  even  with  Paublo's 
eyes,  a  splendid  creature  which  we  "  guessed  "  at 
forty  pounds,  a  long,  slender  barracuda-like  fish  of 
the  mackerel  type,  a  privateer,  rakish,  gamy  in 
appearance,  fitted  for  swift  rushes  and  strenuous 
work  among  the  small  fry.  The  dorsals  were  two 
in  number,  the  first  low  and  extending  from  the 
base  of  the  pectoral  to  nearly  opposite  the  front 
fin  of  the  anal,  the  upper  portion  colored  almost 
black.  The  second  dorsal  was  higher,  with  a 
jaunty  effect;  then  followed  eight  finlets  resem- 
bling those  of  the  tuna ;  the  tail  was  large,  forked, 
and  powerful.  The  sides  of  the  fish  gleamed  like 
burnished  silver ;  its  back  was  dark  blue,  while 
across  its  sides  pronounced  black  longitudinal 
stripes  extended,  represented  above  and  below  by 
dark  spots,  giving  the  fish  a  peculiarly  attractive 


286  Big  Game  Fishes 

appearance.  The  eye  was  large,  bright,  and 
beautiful.  Such  was  the  kingfish,  or  spotted 
cero,  Scomberomorus  regalis,  which  later  it  was 
my  good  luck  to  catch  all  along  the  reef  from 
Key  West  westward. 

The  fish  attains  a  much  larger  size  than  gener- 
ally supposed,  and  I  am  confident  that  I  hooked 
specimens  on  the  borders  of  the  reef  to  the  east 
of  Garden  Key  which  would  have  tipped  the 
scales  at  over  seventy  pounds ;  yet  it  is  well  to 
bear  in  mind  that  it  is  the  largest  fish  that  inva- 
riably escapes.  At  all  sizes  this  fish  is  a  gamy 
catch,  the  small  specimens  making  excellent  play, 
while  the  large  ones  are  game,  always  hard  fighters. 
The  fish  is  fairly  common  on  the  extreme  outer 
Florida  reef,  increasing  in  numbers  as  one  goes 
to  the  south  toward  Cuba. 

The  second  kingfish,  and  the  best  known  in 
our  own  waters,  especially  in  the  region  between 
Key  West  and  Biscayne  Bay,  is  the  cero,  Scom- 
beromorus cavalla.  It  has  a  striking  resemblance 
to  the  former,  but  can  be  recognized  by  the 
angler  at  once  by  the  absence  of  the  spots  or 
bands,  its  gray  color,  and  by  the  lateral  line  which 
takes  a  sudden  dip  just  below  the  second  dorsal 
fin.  This  species  is  the  fish  of  the  people,  the 


The  Kingfisb  287 

common  catch  offshore,  ranging  from  Brazil  to 
Massachusetts,  but  most  plentiful  in  the  region 
from  Key  West  to  Cape  Florida.  I  have  seen  the 
water  ploughed  into  foam  by  it  in  the  open  Gulf, 
and  it  is  as  gamy  as  its  cousin.  I  never  heard  the 
name  cero  used  by  any  men  on  the  outer  reef  in 
connection  with  either  of  these  fishes;  all  called 
them  "  kingfish."  To  the  professional  fisherman 
it  is  exceedingly  valuable,  and  is  caught  in  great 
numbers  in  the  vicinity  of  Key  West.  In  all  the 
Gulf  states  about  400,000  pounds  are  taken  an- 
nually, valued  at  $6000.  I  often  took  it  down  the 
reef,  off  Sand,  East,  and  Bird  keys,  where  it  came 
in  near  the  great  fringing  reef  that  was  sub- 
merged at  high  tide.  The  water  here  was  perhaps 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  with  a  bottom  of  coral 
heads,  plumes,  and  sponges,  washed  by  the  grand 
swell,  and  being  on  the  edge  of  the  Gulf  Stream 
or  in  its  very  midst,  seemed  to  offer  the  exhilarat- 
ing conditions  demanded  by  this  active  creature, 
which  by  trolling  could  almost  always  be  taken 
here.  The  adults  ran  from  fifteen  to  thirty  or  forty 
pounds,  and  there  were  legends  of  colossi  which 
weighed  up  to  one  hundred  pounds,  but  I  never 
saw  them.  The  young,  from  six  to  twelve  pounds, 
were  very  gamy  with  light  rods,  calling  to  mind 


288  Big  Game  Fishes 

bonito,  which  in  my  experience  is  a  surface  fighter. 
I  baited  usually  with  young  mullet,  but  the  king- 
fish  stands  not  upon  the  order  of  bait,  but  takes 
what  is  offered  with  a  rush.  I  have  caught  them 
with  rags  white,  rags  red,  and  rags  yellow;  with 
a  bone  jig,  with  a  piece  of  elongated  conch,  and  a 
home-made  spoon  cut  and  filed  from  the  tip  of 
the  big  Strombus  gigas,  this  by  casting  and  reel- 
ing quickly.  For  a  fish  so  extremely  common 
very  little  is  known  regarding  its  habits.  Speci- 
mens which  I  caught  in  the  open  water  near  Key 
West  in  December  contained  spawn,  but  I  never 
saw  a  very  small  or  young  fish  in  the  outer  bays 
or  reef.  Smack  fishermen  state  that  they  spawn 
in  the  shallow  waters  around  Biscayne  Bay.  The 
professional  fishermen  of  Key  West  have  a  hearty 
appreciation  of  the  kingfish,  which  they  follow 
in  large  and  small  boats,  trolling  for  them  in  deep 
water,  or  on  shallow  grounds  offshore,  as  the  case 
may  be,  often  literally  filling  the  boat  with  the 
ceros  which  rank  high  as  table  fish. 

A  feast  of  the  kingfish  which  I  often  attended 
is  an  experience  long  to  be  remembered.  It  would 
often  be  announced  by  the  laughing  gulls,  whose 
loud  and  resonant  "  ha-ha  "  would  come  over  the 
glasslike  waters  as  the  bird  rapidly  increased  its 


The  Kingfisb  289 

speed.  Others,  recognizing  the  summons,  joined 
it,  and  out  from  all  portions  of  the  reef  came  birds 
—  the  lumbering  pelican,  and  last  the  man-of-war 
bird.  What  had  been  at  first  a  few  splashes  was 
now  a  mass  of  foam,  which,  surrounded  by  smooth 
water  in  the  heart  of  a  dead  calm,  presented  a 
strange  appearance.  The  ocean  seemed  to  be 
boiling,  the  patch  of  several  acres  moving  slowly 
along.  Once  in  this  magic  area,  countless  fishes 
were  seen  dashing  along  the  surface,  chasing  a 
school  of  small  fry.  Long  ago  mere  hunger  had 
been  appeased,  and  the  kingfishes  were  slaughter- 
ing their  subjects  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  killing. 
The  foam  was  tinged  with  red,  and  from  it,  sinking 
into  the  sea,  would  be  seen  a  shower  of  silver,  the 
severed  bodies  of  the  victims  attracting  sharks  and 
other  prey. 

Resembling  the  kingfish  in  many  respects  is 
the  Spanish  mackerel,  Scomberomorus  maculatus, 
a  game  fish  in  every  sense,  coming  from  southern 
and  unknown  seas  in  spring  in  vast  numbers  in 
search  of  food  —  menhaden  and  other  small  fry  — 
and  to  spawn.  I  have  taken  large  specimens 
trolling  to  the  east  of  Fortress  Monroe  near  the 
capes,  where  large  schools  come  in,  and  once  ran 
through  a  school  in  the  Florida  Straits,  which 


290  Big  Game  Fishes 

seemed  to  cover  the  ocean  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach.  In  the  Gulf  they  were  common,  a  few 
individuals  being  seen  at  all  times  in  deep  water 
around  Garden  Key  in  the  Tortugas  group.  Here 
they  frequently  made  splendid  displays,  beating 
the  water  much  like  the  jack,  only  in  deep  water, 
never  running  in  upon  the  beach.  The  sound  of 
their  feeding  was  like  the  roar  of  a  heavy  tide-rip, 
caused  by  the  fishes  dashing  hither  and  yon  into 
the  air  and  back.  At  such  a  time  I  have  run 
through  a  school  with  a  sail-boat,  the  sport  being 
comparable  to  bluefishing,  a  white  rag  being 
used.  But  the  most  satisfactory  sport  was  to  cast 
into  the  school  from  the  outer  edge.  The  fish 
played  like  the  bonito,  making  no  effort  to  sound, 
dashing  around  a  fish  of  ten  or  fifteen  pounds, 
towing  a  dinghy  about  as  though  on  a  pivot.  If 
the  Spanish  mackerel  could  always  be  found,  it 
would  soon  take  its  place  as  a  fine  game  fish  and 
be  eagerly  sought  by  the  angler;  but  its  move- 
ments are  erratic,  and  often,  when  located,  it  will 
not  bite.  Such,  however,  is  the  masterly  play  of 
the  fish  that  the  angler  who  takes  it  once  will 
return  invariably  to  the  often  elusive  search. 

I  found  the  Spanish  mackerel  fishing  excellent 
at  Aransas  Pass,  and  every  morning  in  August 


Tbe  Kingfisb  291 

during  my  visit  a  small  fleet  of  boats  would  gather 
in  the  narrow  pass  and  fish.  Those  who  fished  as 
a  business  had  long  bamboo  poles  which  they  kept 
moving*  up  and  down,  landing  a  mackerel  of  small 
size  every  few  minutes.  I  used  a  light  black- 
bass  rod,  and  baiting  with  shrimp,  caught  by  a  boy 
with  a  cast-net,  enjoyed  the  sport,  taking  fishes 
from  three  to  seven  pounds;  but  the  man  with 
the  fifteen-foot  bamboo,  with  a  short  line  tied  to 
it,  beat  me  ten  to  one,  and  gazed  at  my  light  tackle 
as  the  armament  of  a  tenderfoot.  While  fishing 
here  several  skipjacks  and  a  three-pound  "ten- 
pounder"  jumped  into  my  boat  at  intervals  of 
ten  minutes ;  then  an  alligator  gar  rose  alongside 
apparently  anxious  to  emulate  the  small  fry,  while 
a  speckled  sting-ray  hovered  for  a  moment  in  the 
air  like  a  bird,  astern.  These  and  schools  of  mul- 
lets, constantly  leaping  in  silvery  waves  on  all  sides 
in  the  shallows,  gave  the  impression  that  all  the 
fishes  in  this  peaceful  region  were  jumpers ;  and 
there  was  consolation  in  the  thought  that  if  the 
fish  did  not  bite,  they  might  at  least  jump  aboard, 
which  was  much  the  same  thing  if  dinner,  as  well 
as  sport,  was  to  be  considered.  I  have  seen  the 
Spanish  mackerel  in  many  waters,  but  these  Texas 
fishes,  with  their  black  and  vivid  yellow  or  golden 


292  Big  Game  Fishes 

spots,  seemed  more  beautiful  than  any  I  had  pre- 
viously caught;  and  when  my  professional  com- 
panion came  ashore  with  sixty  to  salt  down,  the 
homely  boat  fairly  glowed  with  the  golden  glint 
reflected  from  the  brilliant  throng. 

The  Spanish  mackerel  has  a  wide  range  from 
Brazil  to  Gloucester  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast  of 
America,  everywhere  held  in  high  esteem  as  the 
finest  of  table  fishes.  It  is  usually  caught  by  troll- 
ing, and  is  essentially  a  surface  fish.  Its  schedule 
of  migration  may  be  considered  as  follows :  It 
arrives  off  the  western  Florida  coast  in  March  and 
reaches  North  Carolina  about  the  same  time.  In 
May  I  have  taken  them  off  the  rip-raps,  at  the 
entrance  to  the  Chesapeake,  and  large  quantities 
are  taken  on  the  Eastern  shores.  The  movement 
is  northward,  and  by  July  they  appear  in  the 
waters  about  New  York,  moving  slowly  up  the 
coast,  everywhere  in  demand.  Mr.  Earll  states 
in  his  exhaustive  monograph  on  this  fish  that  it 
spawns  near  Sandy  Hook,  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  and 
in  Pamlico  Sound,  beginning  in  April  in  the  latter 
and  ending  in  August  in  the  former.  The  eggs 
of  a  six-pound  fish  he  estimates  equal  1,500,000. 
As  soon  as  cool  weather  approaches  in  the  fall  the 
Spanish  mackerel  moves,  and  by  October  it  has 


The  Kingfish  293 

disappeared  from  the  North,  probably  seeking 
warmer  waters  farther  south. 

In  appearance  the  Spanish  mackerel  is  very 
beautiful,  especially  when  taken  from  the  water. 
The  upper  portion  is  a  deep,  steely  blue,  the  lower, 
silver,  while  over  all  is  a  sheen  of  delicate  pinkish 
iridescence.  On  the  sides  are  orange-colored  spots. 
The  dorsal  fins  are  tinted  black,  white,  and  yellow, 
seemingly  blended  to  increase  its  beauties.  So 
far  as  its  economic  value  is  concerned,  it  ranks 
second  to  none,  the  fisheries  being  extremely 
valuable,  amounting  annually  to  about  2,000,000 
pounds,  valued  at  about  $75,000.  The  largest 
number  are  taken  in  pound  and  gill-nets. 

The  bonito,  Sarda  chiliensis,  is,  in  my  estima- 
tion, one  of  the  gamiest  fishes  taken  with  a  light 
rod  on  the  California  coast.  It  is  the  humming- 
bird of  the  sea,  no  description  or  word-painting 
being  adequate  to  describe  its  beauties.  An  eight- 
or  ten-ounce  split  bamboo,  with  very  light  line 
baited  with  a  two-inch  sardine  or  smelt,  or  several 
anchovies,  is  the  lure  most  telling  at  Santa  Catalina. 
I  anchored  one  day  in  a  little  bay  not  far  from 
the  isthmus  and  went  ashore,  giving  instructions 
to  the  boatman  to  "  chum  "  while  we  were  at  lunch. 
Half  an  hour  later  a  signal  came  telling  that  the 


294  Big  Game  Fisbes 

game  had  arrived.  When  I  reached  the  launch 
the  water  appeared  to  be  alive  with  forms  dashing 
about  with  great  velocity.  When  a  handful  of 
sardines  was  tossed  over  they  charged  them  from 
the  channel  a  few  feet  away,  picking  them  up  with 
great  rapidity,  then  disappearing.  Almost  the 
moment  a  cast  was  made,  almost  before  the  bait 
was  set  in  motion  by  the  reel,  the  strike  came,  and 
a  blaze  of  color  dashed  along  the  surface  to  the 
music  of  the  click.  Always  on  the  surface,  —  no 
sulking  here,  —  darting  this  way  and  that,  in  and 
out  around  the  launch,  this  bonito,  the  skipjack 
of  the  sailors,  was  the  peer  of  any  trout  in  the 
world,  and  only  after  a  struggle  was  it  brought 
in ;  and  then  one  could  but  regret  the  capture  of 
so  beautiful  a  fish.  It  was  robed  in  silver  satin 
below,  merging  into  vivid  blue  above,  with  dusky 
stripes,  and  over  all,  flashing  and  scintillating,  an 
iridescence  in  pink,  blue,  and  yellow,  which  made 
it  one  of  the  most  charming  of  the  finny  dwellers 
of  the  Californian  sea.  The  bonito  is  short  and 
very  plump,  and  when  lifted  by  the  gaff  or  net  (the 
latter  is  to  be  preferred,  as  the  fish  bleeds  badly) 
it  quivers  so  violently  as  to  impart  a  disagreeable 
sensation  to  one  who  attempts  to  hold  it  by  the 
tail. 


The  Kingfisb  295 

The  season  for  bonitos,  on  the  California  coast, 
is  from  May  until  December,  the  midsummer 
months  being  the  best  The  largest  fish  I  have 
seen  weighed  twenty  pounds,  and  was  so  power- 
ful that  it  repeatedly  towed  the  heavy  boat  around 
and  around,  making  a  more  desperate  fight  than 
some  fishes  I  have  taken,  of  twice  the  size.  The 
average  size  of  the  bonito  in  these  waters  is 
twelve  pounds.  The  range  of  this  species  is  very 
wide,  covering  all  the  Pacific  from  San  Francisco 
to  Chili,  beyond  and  west  to  the  shores  of  Japan. 
It  doubtless  spawns  in  the  open  Santa  Catalina 
channel  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  islands;  but 
extremely  young  fishes  have  never  been  observed 
here  by  me,  though  I  have  dredged  and  watched 
the  hauling  of  seines  and  nets,  surface  and  other- 
wise. This  region  is  a  spawning-ground  for  many 
genera.  The  flying-fish  spawns  here  in  July,  yet 
I  have  never  been  able  to  secure  a  young  one, 
though  I  confess  to  have  chased  them,  about  the 
size  of  grasshoppers,  for  hours  with  a  scoop-net. 
The  little  creatures,  about  an  inch  in  length, 
could  "  fly  "  or  soar  about  a  foot,  and  attempted 
to  take  to  the  air  as  I  struck  at  them  with  the 
net.  They  well  illustrated  the  ease  with  which 
the  young  of  common  fishes  can  escape  obser- 


296  Big  Game  Fishes 

vation.  The  bonito  is  eaten  on  the  California 
coast,  but  the  flesh  is  coarse  and  very  different 
from  that  of  the  delicious  Spanish  mackerel.  It 
is  well  to  remember,  however,  that  there  is  only 
one  cook  in  a  thousand  who  understands  how  to 
cook  a  fish.  In  point  of  fact,  every  fish  is  a  gas- 
tronomic study  by  itself ;  some  should  be  eaten  im- 
mediately after  the  catch,  and  this  is  particularly 
true  of  the  mackerel  tribe,  —  always  excepting 
the  salt  mackerel  of  Marc  Antony,  which,  we  are 
assured  by  Plutarch,  constitutes  the  theme  for  his 
true  fish  story,  involving  the  caprice  of  Cleopatra. 
How  many  anglers  have  played  this  same  joke 
on  an  unsuspecting  friend!  And  lest  there  be 
some  son  of  Ananias  who  claims  it  as  new,  the 
story  may  be  recalled.  It  seems  that  Antony  and 
Cleopatra,  according  to  veracious  Plutarch,  were 
fishing,  probably  in  the  Nile;  and  wishing  to 
make  the  noble  Antony  a  victim  to  her  wit,  she 
instructed  a  slave  to  slip  over  and  dive  down  and 
fasten  upon  his  hook  a  dried  salt  fish,  supposed 
to  be  a  mackerel.  The  slave  obeyed,  and  when 
the  act  was  accomplished,  gave  the  line  a  vigor- 
ous jerk,  holding  on  while  Antony  tugged  and 
played,  until  the  slave  lost  his  breath,  then  landed 
the  salted  and  ancient  fish.  At  this  point  the 


The  Kingfisb  297 

victim,  at  least  to-day,  is  the  butt  of  gibes  and 
laughter ;  but  not  so  with  Marc  Antony.  He  held 
up  his  catch  proudly  that  his  mistress  might  look 
upon  its  charms,  then  said  to  an  attendant :  "  Un- 
hook it.  True,  it  is  not  so  large  as  I  conceived 
by  the  play  it  made,  but  it  is  by  far  the  oldest  fish 
taken  to-day." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE    FLORIDA    JEWFISH 

"  In  gulfs  enchanted  where  the  siren  sings, 
And  coral  reefs  lie  bare." 

IT  requires  more  than  ordinary  temerity  to 
include  the  huge  Florida  jewfish  among  the 
game  fishes,  as  the  average  individual  is  the  type 
of  all  that  is  indifferent,  a  lazy,  heavy  "  beastie," 
a  finny  Falstaff,  the  colossus  of  the  nooks  and 
corners  of  the  reef.  Yet  several  jewfishes  which 
I  have  met  have  made  a  game  struggle,  and  all 
afforded  sport.  On  the  coasts  of  Texas  and 
Florida  the  fish  is  occasionally  taken  with  rod 
and  reel  in  true  sportsmanlike  fashion. 

My  first  experience  with  the  jewfish  was  in  the 
vicinity  of  Marquesas,  on  the  edge  of  a  deep  blue 
channel  which  blazed  its  way  through  the  reef 
like  a  rope  of  turquoise.  We  had  seen  several 
so-called  tiger-sharks  with  dark  bars  athwart  their 
tawny  flanks,  and  Paublo,  the  dusky  boatman,  had 
aroused  my  curiosity  in  this  tiger  of  the  sea  by 

298 


The  Florida  Jewfisb  299 

various  incidents  more  or  less  racy,  dragged,  I 
fear,  from  the  deep,  unfathomable  recesses  of  his 
imagination.  One  story  apparently  was  true. 
A  tiger-shark  had  leaped  after  a  swimmer  climb- 
ing aboard  a  yacht  and  had  carried  him  down. 
The  shark  was  plainly  seen  moving  about,  eight 
or  ten  feet  away,  doubtless  awaiting  the  rejecta- 
menta of  the  culinary  department.  I  baited  with 
a  live  yellowtail,  as  dainty  and  alluring  a  three- 
pound  fish  as  could  be  found  on  the  reef,  and 
almost  before  it  had  reached  the  bottom,  the  line 
stiffened  out  in  a  steady  strain  —  in  my  experi- 
ence the  typical  strike  of  the  shark.  I  waited  for 
the  line  to  run  out,  but  the  shark  evidently  was 
peacefully  swallowing  the  bait ;  then  I  saw  it  ris- 
ing out  of  the  depths  dimly  against  the  blue,  and 
thinking  that  it  was  coming  to  the  surface,  struck 
with  all  my  strength.  No  shark,  nearly  every 
kind  of  which  I  have  caught,  ever  hurled  back 
so  sturdy  a  defiance.  It  was  irresistible,  and  the 
line  tore  through  the  water  with  the  peculiar 
hissing  sound  which  carries  a  fascination  with  it. 
Fifty  yards  clear  away  the  fish  dashed,  before  it 
could  be  stopped,  and  all  this  time  the  tiger-shark 
was  slowly  rising,  plainly  not  a  party  to  the  pro- 
ceedings. I  was  in  a  light  dinghy,  my  man  cast 


300  Big  Game  Fisbes 

off  and  at  once  we  were  rushing  away,  bow 
under,  in  a  manner  so  sharklike  that  I  was  con- 
vinced that  the  tiger-shark  had  a  mate  and  we 
had  hooked  it ;  but  this  conclusion  was  dispelled 
by  the  sudden  slacking  of  the  line. 

"  Ole  jewfish,  sa',  an'  he  done  tuck  to  his 
hole ! "  cried  Paublo,  as  the  little  boat  came  to  a 
standstill. 

Paublo  was  a  true  prophet,  and  investigation 
showed  that  the  fish,  in  all  probability,  had  run 
beneath  a  deep  ledge  of  branch  coral,  and  any 
attempts  to  lift  it  would  result  in  chafing  off  the 
line ;  so  we  decided  to  "  kedge  off "  the  game. 
The  dinghy  was  rowed  into  the  channel  three 
hundred  feet  or  so,  and  while  Paublo  rowed  vigor- 
ously, I  hauled,  with  the  result  that  the  fish  was 
forced  from  beneath  its  shelter,  and  after  taking 
it  in  two  hundred  feet,  it  made  a  gamy  rush 
around  the  dinghy.  Owing  to  the  length  of  line 
I  was  able  to  hold  the  fish,  while  Paublo  pulled 
for  deep  water,  where  we  held  it  before  it  sounded. 
Despite  a  piece  of  canvas  as  an  improvised  brake, 
I  could  not  stop  the  fish ;  and  only  finally  suc- 
ceeded by  lying  flat  back  in  the  bottom  and  bear- 
ing on  with  the  big  line  in  the  scull  hole;  I 
thought  for  a  moment  that  the  fish  would  take 


The  Florida  Jewfisb  301 

the  dinghy  under,  so  forcible  were  its  downward 
lunges.  For  several  minutes  it  plunged  and 
sounded,  then  I  passed  the  slack  to  Paublo,  who, 
as  I  hauled,  coiled  the  line,  making  everything 
shipshape  for  a  big  rush  which  might  be  ex- 
pected. But  the  hand-line  tactics  were  too  much 
for  the  game,  and  I  steadily  gained,  not  without 
punishment,  as  the  fish  would  ever  and  anon  lit- 
erally shake  its  head,  giving  such  sturdy,  dislo- 
cating blows  that  my  arms  ached  again.  Finally 
it  neared  the  surface  and  Paublo  leaned  to  wind- 
ward that  I  might  glance  over  and  see  the  game 
that  was  putting  up  so  desperate  a  fight.  As  I 
looked  down,  not  twenty  feet  in  the  clear  water, 
I  saw  my  first  jewfish,  apparently  as  large  as  the 
dinghy,  a  colossus  in  black,  with  here  and  there 
a  flash  of  a  lighter  tawny  tint  as  it  rolled  and 
essayed  to  plunge.  It  must  have  seen  me,  as  it 
made  an  upward  rush,  then  around,  whirling  the 
dinghy  as  though  on  a  pivot,  so  that  she  ca- 
reened viciously.  This  was  the  last.  I  gave 
Paublo  the  word,  and  as  he  backed  water  rapidly, 
I  soon  had  the  big  game  at  short  quarters,  and 
its  mighty  head  triced  up  at  the  surface  astern, 
while  a  short  distance  away  the  tiger-shark  swam 
lazily  about,  its  tall  dorsal  cutting  the  water.  As 


302  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  jewfish  rolled  from  side  to  side,  occasionally 
pounding  the  water  with  its  powerful  tail,  it  was 
a  remarkable  spectacle.  Its  length,  as  near  as  I 
could  judge,  was  over  six  feet ;  its  color  a  brownish 
olive  with  lighter  spots,  lighter  upon  the  belly. 
The  head  seemed  enormous,  the  eyes  small  and 
perched  high  up,  and  far  down  near  the  nostrils ; 
the  lower  jaw  projected  slightly;  the  gill-covers 
were  large.  Perhaps  the  most  noticeable  feature 
was  the  rounded  tail,  which  is  the  antipodes  of 
that  of  the  huge  Stereolepis  of  the  Pacific  coast, 
with  which  it  is  often  confused  by  anglers  who 
apply  the  name  jewfish  to  both.  The  bulk  of  the 
fish  was  overpowering,  and  what  it  weighed  was 
a  matter  of  conjecture.  Those  who  saw  it,  esti- 
mated its  weight  at  between  five  and  six  hundred 
pounds,  Paublo  being  ready  to  make  affidavit  that 
it  was  an  eight-hundred-pounder ;  but  while  there 
seemed  to  be  no  limit  to  its  vastness,  I  think  it 
would  be  safe  to  place  it  at  three  hundred  pounds. 
Later  I  saw  a  jewfish  on  the  beach  at  Conchtown, 
Key  West,  which,  it  was  said,  weighed  six  hundred 
and  forty-two  pounds.  The  fish  attains  a  weight 
of  over  one  thousand  pounds  and  fully  meets  the 
estimates  placed  upon  it  by  boatmen,  whose  im- 
aginations are  limited  by  no  slavish  bonds. 


The  Florida  Jewfisb  303 

Our  struggle  with  the  jewfish  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  the  skipper  of  a  smack,  and  as  I  was 
about  to  cast  off  the  fish,  he  hailed  and  asked  for 
it.  We  towed  it  alongside  while  he  ran  up  in  the 
wind,  then  a  barbless  hook  was  inserted  in  its  jaw, 
the  crew  manned  the  halyard,  and  the  jewfish  was 
hauled  aboard.  The  skipper,  who  hailed  from 
Mystic,  quickly  took  a  few  stitches  in  its  mouth 
to  prevent  it  from  eating  the  rest  of  his  catch, 
then  the  fish  was  lowered  into  the  well  and  later 
carried  to  Havana,  where  jewfish  steaks  were 
highly  esteemed. 

Within  thirty  miles  of  this  place  I  caught  a 
number  of  jewfishes,  several  giving  me  exciting 
contests  before  subdued.  One  taken  in  shallow 
water  fought  in  a  lagoon  for  three-quarters  of  an 
hour  before  it  was  landed.  The  tackle  employed 
for  this  fish  was  an  ordinary  halibut  line  with  a 
doubled  leader  six  feet  long,  and  a  very  large 
hook ;  the  bait  was  hooked  through  the  fish  just 
under  the  dorsal  fin,  near  the  tail,  so  that  it  was 
practically  uninjured ;  a  small  sinker  was  used  to 
carry  it  down. 

There  are  two  genera  called  jewfish  by  the 
habitues  of  the  reef:  the  black  grouper,  when  of 
large  size,  and  the  "  Warsaw,"  Promicrops  itaiara. 


304  Big  Game  Fishes 

Not  a  few  anglers  profess  to  believe  the  two  fishes 
identical,  the  huge  Warsaw  being  the  adult  black 
grouper ;  but  the  consensus  of  opinion  is  against 
this,  and  the  two  adult  fishes  side  by  side  certainly 
could  not  be  confused.  The  jewfish  proper,  Pro- 
microps,  is  found  from  Brazil  to  Georgia,  possibly 
rarely  straying  farther  north,  and  in  the  Gulf  of 
California.  I  was  assured  that  the  fish  was  com- 
mon at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns  River,  Florida, 
but  in  three  months'  fishing  there  and  at  Fernan 
dina  I  saw  none,  though  it  is  fair  to  say  that  sharks 
were  so  plentiful  at  the  time  that  they  seriously 
interfered  in  the  quest.  The  fish  is  fairly  common 
at  Garden  Key ;  also  on  the  Gulf  coast  of  Florida, 
— in  fact,  the  entire  Gulf  coast,  where  it  appears 
to  haunt  the  bayous,  preferring  "  holes "  and 
localities  affected  by  the  grouper,  in  compara- 
tively shallow  water.  At  Aransas  Pass,  Texas, 
and  vicinity,  the  fishes  of  the  largest  size  are 
taken  by  sportsmen  with  rod  and  reel. 

Some  exciting  fishing  for  jewfish  may  be  had 
at  the  town  of  Tarpon,  Aransas  Pass,  where  the 
fish  attains  an  enormous  size,  and  at  certain  times 
is  found  in  what  are  apparently  schools.  In  No- 
vember they  come  in,  or  "  run,"  for  several  days, 
by  the  Point  of  Rocks,  and  are  fished  for  from 


The  Florida  Jewfisb  305 

the  beach  or  near  it.  In  1902  the  anglers  at 
Tarpon  had  some  remarkable  fishing.  Six  huge 
fishes  were  taken  in  a  day,  and  sixteen  in  two  days, 
one  of  which,  caught  by  Mr.  J.  A.  L.  Waddell, 
with  Robert  Farley  as  boatman,  weighed  four 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and  was  claimed  by  the 
angler  as  the  record  jewfish  of  the  world  with 
rod  and  reel.  This  does  not  conflict  with  the 
Pacific  coast  record  of  Dr.  H.  T.  Kendall,  as  the 
two  fishes  are  generically  different.  Mr.  Wad- 
dell's  fish  was  a  jewfish  (Promicrops\  that  of  Dr. 
Kendall,  a  black  sea-bass  (Stereolepis).  The 
Texas  record  fish  made  a  most  gamy  fight  and 
redeemed  the  tribe.  It  measured  seven  feet 
three  inches  in  length,  its  girth  being  five  feet 
nine  inches  —  a  veritable  colossus.  According 
to  the  old  fishing  formula  given  elsewhere  the 
fish  weighed  five  hundred  and  eighteen  pounds, 
sixty-eight  pounds  more  than  the  actual  scale 
weight  of  the  fish,  two  days  later.  The  largest 
jewfish  landed  in  these  waters  was  taken  by  some 
seiners  at  Corpus  Christi  Pass,  Texas,  several 
years  ago.  It  weighed  one  thousand  and  fifteen 
pounds,  suggestive  that  there  is  a  field  for  the 
lover  of  such  big  game  in  these  haunts  of  the 
tarpon.  When  in  comparatively  shallow  water 


306  Big  Game  Fishes 

the   great  fish  can   be   counted   on   to   make  a 
gallant  play. 

The  equipment  for  this  strenuous  sport  is  a  rod 
not  over  seven  feet  in  length  and  of  sufficient 
stiffness  to  lift  the  heaviest  fish.  The  noib-wood 
tuna  rod  described  is  equal  to  the  task  by  using 
a  heavy  tip.  The  line  should  be  number  twenty- 
four,  the  only  difficulty  being  that  the  fish  when 
taken  in  shallow  water  has  a  sorry  habit  of  plung- 
ing into  the  equivalent  of  the  "  dark,  unfathomed 
caves,"  where  the  best  of  lines  often  fails  to  dis- 
lodge it.  Every  sportsman  fond  of  big  game  has 
a  keen  desire  to  kill  an  elephant.  So,  too,  the 
big  fish  angler  will  be  tempted  to  take  a  jewfish ; 
and  should  it  chance  that  they  are  all  hard  fighters, 
he  may  become  enamoured  of  the  sport.  I  rarely 
caught  young  jewfish  and  do  not  recall  seeing  one 
less  than  two  hundred  pounds  in  weight.  They 
spawn  in  May,  June,  and  July,  and  are  found  in 
the  localities  mentioned  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
but  more  frequently  in  spring  and  summer.  It 
is  believed  that  they  retreat  into  deeper  water  in 
winter.  It  was  not  uncommon  to  take  jewfishes 
from  June  to  October  on  the  edges  of  the  lagoons 
or  off  the  outer  reef  in  water  not  over  twenty  feet 
in  depth.  They  fed  in  the  shallow  lagoon  at 


The  Florida  Jewfish  307 

night;  but  in  the  so-called  winter  months  we 
sought  them  in  the  outer  channels,  hence  the  be- 
lief grew  that  they  were  slightly  migratory. 

On  the  mainland  coast  of  Florida  the  jewfish 
can  be  found  at  Captiva,  Palma,  Sola,  Charlotte 
Harbor,  the  Biscayne  Bay  country ;  and  all  along- 
shore, where  there  are  sheltered  nooks,  where  a 
channel  runs  in,  and  mangrove  roots  have  rolled 
down  the  bank,  forming  a  cheveaux  de  frise,  are 
haunts  to  its  fancy ;  but  among  the  outer  keys  the 
fish  is  found  along  the  base  of  deep  coral  groves. 
Such  a  home  I  well  recall  on  the  southern  end  of 
the  great  Tortugas  lagoon  so  frequently  changed 
by  hurricane  and  storm.  I  had  been  in  quest  of 
the  queen  conch,  —  a  rarity  even  in  this  prolific 
hunting-ground, — and  was  slowly  drifting  over  the 
lagoon,  eying  the  bottom  through  a  glass  observa- 
tion box,  when  I  suddenly  came  to  the  edge  of  the 
reef,  where  the  coral  began.  The  water  was  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  feet  deep,  now  paved  with 
luxuriant,  long-pronged  branch  coral  that,  under 
the  influence  of  the  abundant  food-supply,  had 
developed  to  an  amazing  extent.  It  appeared  to 
be  five  or  more  feet  in  height,  surrounded  by 
masses  of  lavender-tinted  gorgonias  and  plume- 
like  forms  in  rich  browns,  while  dotting  the  bot- 


308  Big  Game  Fishes 

torn  were  great  heads  of  coral,  their  surfaces 
sprinkled  with  the  brilliant  breathing  organs  of 
worms  of  all  colors. 

Poised  in  this  garden  were  dainty  yellowtails, 
parrot-fishes  of  lovely  colors,  angel-fishes,  sea- 
porcupines,  and  an  endless  train,  —  all  courtiers  of 
a  huge  jewfish  which  crouched  or  poised  in  a 
little  bay,  an  enclosure  of  coral  just  large  enough 
for  it  to  enter  and  turn  easily,  the  entrance  being 
small  and  narrow.  In  this  veritable  bower,  with 
aesthetic  objects  of  the  sea  on  every  side,  the 
jewfish  rested,  only  darting  out  as  my  boatman 
plunged  over  and  swam  downward,  to  rob  the 
sea-fans  of  the  yellow  "fan"  shells  which  clung 
to  their  reticulated  sides. 

The  angler  who  does  not  care  to  go  to  the  outer 
reef  beyond  Key  West  or  to  Texas,  will  find  the 
fish  all  alongshore  on  the  Indian  River,  the  towns 
of  Titusville,  Cocoa,  Eau  Gallic,  Fort  Pierce,  and 
others  being  centres  for  professional  fishermen, 
now  easily  reached,  while  the  west  coast  abounds 
in  resorts  from  Cedar  Keys  south.  Indeed,  the 
entire  region  from  Cedar  Keys  on  one  side  and 
St.  Augustine  on  the  east  coast  to  Loggerhead  is 
an  angler's  paradise,  winter  or  summer,  abound- 
ing in  the  greatest  variety  of  fishes. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  DRUM 

"  His  drumming  heart  cheers  up  his  burning  eye." 

—  Rape  of  Lucrece. 

THE  good  Bishop  Paul  Jovius,  who  flourished 
in  1531,  tells  the  following  story,  illustrative  of 
the  regard  in  which  the  epicures  of  olden  times 
held  a  European  representative  of  the  drumfish. 

In  1480  there  lived  in  Rome  a  famous  gour- 
mand named  Tamisio,  who  had  a  weakness 
for  the  maigre,  the  surmullet,  and  for  murries 
drowned  in  wine.  To  such  an  extent  did  this 
passion  carry  Tamisio  that  it  was  his  custom  to  sta- 
tion his  servant  in  the  fish-market  to  bring  him 
intelligence  of  the  destination  of  the  finest  fish. 
Learning,  one  evening,  that  a  maigre  of  unusual 
size  had  been  brought  in,  he  instantly  hurried  to 
wait  on  the  conservators,  in  expectation  of  an 
invitation  to  dinner;  but  as  he  ascended  the  steps 
of  the  capitol  he  met  the  head  of  the  fish,  adorned 
with  flowers  and  borne,  by  order  of  the  conserva- 

309 


310  Big  Game  Fisbes 

tors,  as  an  offering  to  Cardinal  Riario,  nephew  of 
Pope  Sixtus  IV.  Tomasio,  being  well  acquainted 
with  this  prelate,  gladly  joined  the  procession; 
but  Riario,  delighting  in  a  play  of  words,  said 
that  the  head  of  the  greatest  of  fishes  should  by 
right  go  to  the  greatest  of  cardinals,  and  sent  it 
accordingly  to  Cardinal  St.  Severin,  who  was  of 
extraordinary  bulk.  St.  Severin,  in  his  turn,  de- 
spatched it  in  a  golden  dish  to  the  wealthy  banker 
Chigi,  to  whom  he  owed  money.  This  time  To- 
masio, in  his  eager  pursuit,  had  to  traverse  the 
whole  city  and  to  cross  the  Tiber  on  his  way 
to  the  Farnesian  palace,  which  Chigi  had  built. 
Chigi,  however,  did  not  retain  the  much-prized 
head,  but  after  replacing  the  faded  garlands  by 
newly  gathered  flowers,  sent  it  to  his  mistress, 
whose  abode  lay  a  good  way  off.  There  Tamisio, 
who,  though  fat  and  unwieldy,  had  tracked  the 
object  of  his  desires,  under  a  hot  sun,  over  a 
whole  city,  was  at  length  permitted  to  enjoy  the 
luxury  he  had  endured  so  much  toil  to  obtain. 

The  persistence  of  Tamisio  was  a  bagatelle 
compared  to  the  journeys  of  modern  anglers,  who 
cross  oceans  and  continents  to  take  the  fishes  of 
their  choice.  The  modern  Tamisio  is  an  angler, 
his  object  being  to  take  a  big  sea-drum  with  light 


The  Drum  311 

tackle.  Its  flesh  is  little  appreciated,  though  it  is 
fair  to  say  that  very  few  anglers  know  that  the 
head  of  many  fishes,  invariably  thrown  away,  is 
the  bonne  bouche. 

The  sea-drum  is  a  very  well-known  fish,  attract- 
ing attention  by  its  ponderous  size.  It  ranks  next 
to  the  tuna,  black  sea-bass,  Florida  jewfish,  black 
grouper,  and  tarpon  in  size  among  American 
game  fishes,  specimens  having  been  taken  which 
weighed  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds; 
and  fishes  from  forty  to  eighty  pounds  are  not 
uncommon.  In  appearance  the  sea-drum  is  a 
large  and  attractive  fish.  The  body  is  deep  and 
oblong,  rising  in  a  decided  "hump,"  the  ventral 
outline  being  quite  the  reverse,  so  that  when 
placed  on  the  beach  the  lower  surface  of  the  fish 
will  touch  from  the  lower  jaw  to  the  tip  of  the 
tail.  The  dorsal  fin  is  tall  and  prominent;  the 
tail  large  and  powerful,  not  forked ;  the  anal  fin 
long;  the  eye  is  large  and  striking,  the  head 
blunt.  The  teeth  are  small  and  arranged  in 
bands ;  the  pharyngeal  bones  provided  with  a 
crushing  pavement,  formed  of  blunt  molar  teeth, 
or  "oyster  crushers."  The  color  of  the  fish  is 
black  or  very  dark  in  the  adult,  the  young  being 
silver  gray  with  five  or  six  vertical  bands.  On 


3i2  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  under  jaw  are  numerous  short  barbels.  The 
range  of  the  fish  is  from  Long  Island  to  Mexico, 
being  almost  everywhere  a  common  fish,  afford- 
ing good  sport  to  the  angler. 

The  drum  belongs  to  the  family  Sci&nidce,  which 
includes  the  weak  fishes,  the  white  sea-bass,  and 
many  others  famous  in  European  waters  and 
among  the  ancients.  The  sea-drum,  the  object  of 
our  attention,  is  known  to  science  as  Pogonias 
cromis,  but  in  various  localities  it  has  other 
common  names.  In  some  the  striped  young  are 
considered  separate  fishes  and  called  striped  drums. 
On  the  extreme  outer  reef  the  men  I  fished  with 
called  it  the  "  porgy,"  the  drum  being  "  big  porgy  " 
and  the  sheepshead  "  little  porgy." 

Its  habits  are  similar  to  those  of  the  sheepshead. 
It  is  a  slow  swimmer,  frequenting  shallow  waters, 
preferring  sandy  bottom ;  affecting  oyster-beds,  or 
localities  where  it  can  obtain  shell-fish.  Its  taste 
for  these  dainties  renders  it  one  of  the  enemies  of 
the  oystermen,  the  small  succulent  bivalves  being 
crushed  like  paper  in  its  powerful  jaws.  The 
trail  of  the  drum  along  oyster-beds  is  easily  fol- 
lowed by  the  masses  of  broken  shells  and  the  evi- 
dences of  ruthless  destruction,  which  can  only  be 
compared  to  that  produced  by  the  deadly  starfish. 


The  Drum  313 

So  dreaded  are  these  fishes  by  oystermen  that 
the  owners  of  beds  have  adopted  many  methods 
to  frighten  them,  one  being  to  anchor  highly 
colored  cloths  over  the  beds,  which  move  up  and 
down  with  the  waves ;  others,  according  to  Ernest 
Ingersoll,  drop  pieces  of  tin  on  the  beds,  in  the 
hope  that  the  flashes  and  gleams  of  light  will 
drive  them  off.  At  such  times  the  drums  are 
often  found  in  vast  schools,  each  fish  weigh- 
ing from  forty  to  sixty  pounds,  and  possessed 
of  an  extraordinary  appetite  for  oysters  in  the 
shell.  Such  a  devastating  horde  was  caught 
in  a  school  in  Great  Egg  Harbor  nine  years  ago, 
in  a  seine ;  the  fish  numbered  two  hundred  and 
eighteen,  and  weighed  nearly  nine  thousand 
pounds.  A  City  Island  oysterman  reported  to 
Mr.  Ernest  Ingersoll  that  drums  had  mulcted 
him  to  the  extent  of  $10,000  in  a  single 
season.  Similar  stories  come  from  almost  every 
locality  where  the  fish  is  found. 

The  fish  spawn  in  the  latter  part  of  March,  in 
April  and  May,  in  different  parts  of  Florida,  those 
farther  south  spawning  first.  Thus  down  near 
Cape  Florida  the  fish  spawn  in  March.  Upon 
the  upper  Florida  and  Alabama  coast  and  along- 
shore, according  to  Silas  Stearns,  they  spawn  in 


314  Big  Game  Fishes 

April  and  May,  and  at  Tortugas,  as  near  as  could 
be  determined,  the  spawning  season  was  in  March. 
While  an  oceanic  fish,  the  drum  enters  rivers,  and 
I  have  seen  six-  or  eight-pounders  taken  with  a 
seine  between  Jacksonville  and  Mayport  on  the 
St.  Johns,  and  have  caught  large  specimens  in  the 
Nassau  River  near  Fernandina,  where  the  water 
was  certainly  more  than  brackish.  I  have  also 
caught  large  sea-drums  near  Old  Point  Comfort, 
some  localities  being  famous  for  them.  Perhaps 
the  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  drum  is  the 
habit  of  "drumming,"  from  which  it  derives  its 
name.  I  first  heard  it  when  fishing  in  the  Chesa- 
peake, the  sound  being  so  loud  and  resonant  as 
to  be  distinctly  heard  several  feet  away.  On  my 
speaking  of  the  incident  to  the  late  Professor  Baird, 
he  told  me  that  some  years  previous  he  had  gone 
out  with  a  fisherman  on  the  New  Jersey  coast  for 
the  purpose  of  listening  to  the  drums,  and  that  the 
sounds  they  produced  astonished  him.  A  pecul- 
iar feature  is  that  the  drumming  often  sounds 
differently  to  different  persons.  To  me  it  was  a 
muffled  boom  — boom — boom,  with  a  slight  reso- 
nance, this  from  the  open  water;  but  later  I  had 
a  number  of  large  drums  under  my  observation 
for  several  weeks  in  a  large  tank,  and  the  sounds 


SPANISH    MACKEREL 
Scomberomoms  maculatus  (Mitchill) 


DRUM;    GRAY  DRUM 
Pogonias  cromis  (Linnaeus) 


Tbe  Drum  315 

were  deeper,  a  roaring  boom  so  penetrating  that 
it  could  be  heard  throughout  a  large  room.  It 
happened  that  I  was  looking  at  one  of  the  fishes 
when  the  sound  was  made,  and  noticed  a  very 
slight  opening  of  the  mouth  and  gills,  a  convulsive 
movement.  The  drumming  is  possibly  a  sexual 
call,  at  least  it  is  heard  more  in  the  spring  when 
the  fishes  are  breeding,  both  sexes  uttering  it; 
that  produced  by  the  male  is  the  loudest,  that  of 
the  female  is  said  to  be  the  most  musical.  The 
drumming  sound  is  produced  by  the  air-bladder, 
and  whether  it  can  be  heard  to  any  great  distance 
beneath  the  water  is  a  question  unsolved.  I  have 
been  fortunate  in  hearing  the  vocal  accomplish- 
ments of  a  number  of  fishes,  and  several  are 
certainly  as  interesting  as  the  drum's  and  one  as 
startling.  The  common  grunt  (Hamulon)  of  the 
Florida  reef  would  always  grunt  and  groan  in  a 
most  despairing  way  when  caught.  The  loudest 
noise  I  have  heard  made  by  a  fish  was  uttered  by 
a  midshipman,  a  fish  nearly  a  foot  long,  which  I 
kept  in  a  tank  at  Santa  Catalina  Island.  This 
fish  would  utter  a  loud  resonant  croak  or  bark 
under  water  which  could  be  heard  with  startling 
distinctness  fifty  feet  away. 

Nearly  all  of  the  Sciaenidae  are  sound  utterersf 


316  Big  Game  Fishes 

and  that  the  early  Indians  were  familiar  with  the 
notes  of  the  drum  is  shown  by  the  legend  of  Pas- 
cagoula  and  its  music,  it  being  described  as  rich, 
soft  strains  which  rise  from  the  water  on  still 
nights,  sounding  like  the  notes  of  an  /Eolian  harp. 
In  the  narrative  of  Bienville,  who  entered  the 
Mississippi  in  1699,  there  is  an  account  of  the 
music  of  Pascagoula.  The  Italians  give  the  name 
of  covo  to  one  species,  which  utters  a  croaking 
sound.  El  roncador  of  Central  America  has  a 
similar  habit,  and  Sir  John  Richardson  states 
that  upon  one  occasion  he  could  not  sleep  on  the 
coast  of  Carolina  owing  to  the  drumming  of  a 
certain  species.  Lieutenant  John  White  of  the 
British  navy  reported  to  his  government  that 
when  anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  Camboya 
River,  his  men  were  demoralized  by  strange 
sounds  which  came  up  from  the  sea,  "  resembling 
the  bass  of  an  organ  mingled  with  the  tones  of  a 
bell,  the  croaking  of  an  enormous  frog,  and  the 
clanging  of  an  enormous  harp."  Humboldt  also 
refers  to  a  similar  occurrence  which  is  quoted  by 
the  same  author:  "About  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening  the  sailors  were  terrified  by  an  extraor- 
dinary noise  in  the  air  like  the  beating  of  tam- 
bourines, followed  by  sounds  which  seemed  to 


The  Drum  317 

come  from  the  water,  and  resembled  the  escape 
of  air  from  boiling  liquid.  It  ceased  at  nine 
o'clock."  Not  a  few  black  boatmen  who  fish  where 
the  drum  is  found  are  terrified  by  the  mysterious 
sounds. 

The  large  drums  are  fishes  of  striking  appear- 
ance, and  while  not  quick  of  motion,  when  they 
find  themselves  hooked,  they  make  a  remarkable 
fight  and  afford  good  sport.  The  greatest  catches 
are  made  with  hand-lines;  and  near  Fernandina, 
in  a  party  of  a  dozen  men  fishing,  but  two  had 
rods,  the  others  being  armed  with  lines  which 
would  have  held  a  man-eater  shark,  and  I  was 
told  by  my  sable  boatman  that  even  these  were 
sometimes  broken  by  big  "  sheepshead.  "  But  I 
found  that  a  number  fifteen  line  was  large  enough 
for  any  "  sheepshead  "  up  to  seventy  pounds,  and 
the  largest  drum  known  can  be  taken  with  a  light 
rod  and  a  number  twenty-one  cuttyhunk  line.  So 
far  as  tackle  is  concerned,  I  should  use  for  these 
fish  the  equipment  employed  for  the  yellowtail, 
that  is,  for  large  fishes,  but  the  twenty-pound 
drum  can  be  taken  on  a  much  lighter  line. 
Crab  and  clam  bait  were  used  in  the  Chesapeake, 
fiddler  crabs  being  a  common  lure  at  Fernandina. 
I  used  crab,  a  "fiddler"  community  affording 


318  Big  Game  Fishes 

excellent  bait  for  channel-bass  or  drum.  The 
capture  of  a  drum  of  seventy  pounds'  weight  will 
be  remembered,  if  the  fish  is  taken  with  the  rod ; 
and  when  the  angler  reaches  that  part  of  Florida 
where  the  people  try  to  sell  him  all  kinds  of 
articles,  from  picture  frames  to  impossible  flowers, 
all  made  of  fish-scales,  he  may  accept  it  as  a 
foregone  conclusion  that  "  drum  "  can  be  caught 
in  that  vicinity,  and  later  on  he  will  witness  the 
extraordinary  scene  of  a  longshore  Cracker,  a 
Conch,  or  a  "  reefer,"  scaling  drum  with  a  hatchet, 
for  the  very  good  reason  that  the  fish  does  not 
relinquish  its  scales  with  ease.  One  black  oars- 
man I  had,  cleaned  the  large  fish  by  nailing  the 
tail  to  a  scantling  and,  standing  off,  scraped  off 
the  scales  with  a  sharp  hoe.  . 

One  of  the  largest  drums  it  was  ever  my  good 
luck  to  catch  was  far  out  on  the  Florida  reef 
and  under  peculiar  conditions,  —  circumstances 
which  demonstrated  the  fact  that  the  big  drum  is 
possessed  of  Joblike  patience.  I  was  lying  prone 
upon  some  staging  beneath  a  pier,  where  I  could 
observe  the  coming  and  going  of  fishes  beneath 
me,  unseen,  and  was  intently  watching  the  actions 
of  a  number  of  grunts,  which  were  engaged  in 
a  game  of  some  kind,  when  I  saw  a  large,  high- 


The  Drum  319 

built,  thick-set,  "  double-decked,"  dark  grayish  fish 
come  slowly  out  of  the  gloom  of  the  channel.  It 
swam  with  great  deliberation,  and  I  quickly  recog- 
nized the  high  forehead,  the  big  dorsal  fin,  of  the 
drum,  or  "  big  porgy."  On  it  came,  until  it  reached 
a  pile  not  six  feet  from  me,  when  it  stopped  and 
began,  after  the  fashion  of  its  kind,  to  dine  upon 
barnacles  and  teredos  incrusting  the  woodwork, 
making  the  rotten  and  disintegrating  wood  fly 
in  every  direction.  As  the  fish  poised  and  moved 
around  the  pile,  I  noticed  something  peculiar 
about  it.  It  had  several  horizontal  stripes  which 
were  not  fixed,  but  undulating  and  wavy,  and 
presently  I  saw  that  they  were  remoras,  the  pecul- 
iar fishes  which  attach  themselves  to  sharks  by 
the  sucking  plates  upon  their  heads.  There  were 
four  of  these  fishes  clinging  to  the  drum,  which 
patiently  towed  them  about  wherever  it  went,  bear- 
ing them  not  only  without  the  slightest  protest, 
but  with  absolute  indifference.  As  the  pieces  of 
teredo-infested  wood  began  to  permeate  the  water 
with  a  dusky  cloud,  the  remoras  disconnected 
themselves  and  darted  rapidly  about,  evidently 
feeding.  The  fish  was  one  of  the  largest  I  had 
seen,  and  I  determined  to  attempt  its  capture. 
Not  fifty  feet  away,  alongshore,  were  the  remains 


320  Big  Game  Fishes 

of  an  old  wreck,  and  judging  that  the  fish  would 
visit  this,  I  carefully  retreated,  and  having  secured 
a  rod  hard  by,  baited  the  hook  with  a  third  of  the 
crushed  tail  of  a  crayfish  —  the  spiny  lobster  of 
the  reef.  This  luscious  morsel  I  cast  from  a  high 
pile  of  dead  coral  rock  which  formed  the  inter- 
vening beach  between  the  pier  and  the  wreck  in 
a  highway  which  I  knew  the  porgy  or  drum 
would  pass  in  full  view,  owing  to  the  remarkable 
clearness  of  these  tropical  waters ;  nor  was  I  mis- 
taken. The  moment  my  bait  sank  in  about 
fifteen  feet  of  water  it  was  surrounded  by  a 
motley  throng  of  grunts,  shad,  young  gray  snap- 
pers, porcupine-fishes,  angel-fishes,  and  others, 
which  seized  and  tossed  it  about  like  a  ball,  creat- 
ing a  commotion  that,  as  I  surmised,  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  big  fish  which  in  a  short 
time  appeared,  still  swimming  slowly  and  with 
dignity,  its  jet-black  followers  trailing  against  its 
sides  like  the  barbels  or  whiskers  of  a  catfish. 
One  broke  away  and  swam  ahead,  and  rushing 
into  the  throng,  seized  the  bait.  As  the  ponder- 
ous drum  approached  the  lure  it  stopped,  turned 
slightly  upon  one  side,  evidently  eying  it,  while 
the  swarm  of  small  fry  melted  away  as  do  wolves 
or  coyotes  when  larger  game  approaches.  The 


The  Drum  321 

bait  was  evidently  satisfactory,  as  the  drum 
turned  until  it  appeared  to  stand  almost  upon  its 
head,  then  seized  it.  The  remoras,  which  had 
been  darting  about,  "  got  aboard,"  attaching  them- 
selves, and  the  drum  moved  on. 

At  this  particular  moment  I  became  a  factor 
in  the  proceedings.  I  had  given  the  fish  three  or 
four  feet  of  slack,  and  as  the  line  came  taut  the 
big  fish  did  not  immediately  notice  it;  then  it 
gave  a  sudden  jerk  as  though  of  annoyance, 
making  the  reel  cry  out  beneath  my  thumb,  and 
then  with  a  steady  bearing  off  I  successfully  set 
the  hook  into  its  ample  jaws  which  so  easily  break 
large  hooks  by  a  mere  crushing  or  grinding  pro- 
cess. A  streak  of  gray,  with  streamers  of  black, 
a  cloud  of  sand  sent  rolling  upward  into  the  clear 
waters,  a  z-e-e-e-e-e-e-e !  long  drawn  out,  and  the 
game  was  away,  a  rush  so  fierce,  so  determined, 
that  I  fully  expected  to  see  all  the  line  unreeled ; 
so  I  descended  from  the  pile  of  dead  coral,  my 
point  of  vantage,  and  ran  along  the  beach  to  a 
dinghy,  hoping  to  reach  it.  But  the  boat  was 
high  on  the  sands  and  I  ran  by  it,  as  the  fish  was 
now  going  rapidly  down  the  slope  of  the  channel 
into  deeper  water,  and  headed  out  the  channel. 
It  carried  me  fifty  yards  up  shore  before  I  stopped 


322  Big  Game  Fishes 

it  with  my  light  rod,  and  then  I  had  waded  out, 
knee-deep,  on  to  a  little  shoal  which  projected  into 
the  channel,  from  which  vantage-ground,  the 
home  of  the  mullet,  I  played  my  fish  and  was 
played.  I  would  gain  ten  or  twenty  feet,  then 
lose  it,  then  by  turning  the  fish  inshore  and 
wading  rapidly,  I  would  regain  the  lost  line.  And 
so,  giving  and  taking,  the  contest  went  on,  every 
now  and  then  the  fish  making  a  desperate  rush ; 
and  the  closer  in  I  reeled  it  the  more  savage 
became  its  plays.  It  had  one  singular  movement 
which  appeared  to  be  a  rapid  dive  in  a  half-circle, 
bearing  away  on  the  line  with  all  its  power,  then 
evidently  turning  suddenly,  which  gave  a  slack 
line  for  a  second  as  it  ran  toward  me,  which  was 
perhaps  a  trick  to  gain  line.  But  I  foiled  it  by 
more  than  ordinary  good  luck,  all  the  time  being 
carried  slowly  up  the  channel,  but  now  moving 
gradually  in  so  that  I  at  last  reeled  the  fish  up 
the  steep  channel  slope  on  to  the  shoal  and  had  it 
in  three  feet  of  water,  where  it  circled  me  several 
times  as  I  slowly  and  carefully  backed  inshore. 

By  this  time  one  of  the  boatmen  had  appeared 
and  now  waded  out ;  and,  as  well  wearied  with  my 
bare-headed  fight  under  a  terrific  sun,  I  brought 
the  fish  in,  he  grained  it  —  a  savage  and  barbar- 


The  Drum  323 

ous  method  of  gaffing,  but  possibly  excusable 
under  the  circumstances  —  and  dragged  it  out 
upon  the  sands,  remoras  and  all,  the  four  attend- 
ants refusing  to  leave  until  they  were  forced  off. 
This  fish  weighed,  if  my  memory  serves  me  rightly, 
about  seventy  pounds,  and  was  the  largest  "  big 
porgy "  ever  seen  at  Garden  Key,  at  least  by 
the  fishermen  I  knew.  I  gave  it  to  the  man  I 
often  fished  with.  He  was  not  a  Tamisio,  and  I 
fancied  he  looked  at  me  reproachfully  the  next 
day  when  I  asked  him  how  it  tasted.  His  reply 
was  that  it  might  have  been  "  fine  fishin',  but  it 
was  mighty  tough  eatin'."  So  my  biggest  drum 
undoubtedly  went  to  feed  the  sharks,  which  were 
the  principal  scavengers  along  the  key  of  the 
Gulf. 

Small  drums,  or  "  porgies,"  from  eight  to  twelve 
pounds  were  highly  valued  and  caught  in  the 
same  localities  as  sheepshead,  though  in  deeper 
water,  one  of  the  best  places  being  on  the  edge  of 
a  deep  channel  opposite  Sand  Key,  where  "  Long 
John  "  could  soon  fill  the  well  of  the  "  Bull  Pup," 
as  he  called  his  old  sloop,  which  went  to  the  bot- 
tom one  day  in  a  hurricane.  The  fishes  were 
probably  revenged  by  using  her  as  a  retreat  until 
the  teredos  reduced  her  to  dust. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE    SHEEPSHEAD 

"  I  shall  stay  him  no  longer  than  to  wish,  .  .  .  that  if  he  be 
an  honest  angler,  the  east  wind  may  never  blow  when  he  goes 
a-fishing."  —  IZAAK  WALTON. 

THE  ancients  long  ago  discovered  the  value 
of  the  sheepshead  or  its  representatives,  and  the 
Chrysophrys  of  the  Greeks,  and  Aurata  of  the 
Latins,  was  the  gilthead  of  the  English,  accord- 
ing to  Sir  John  Richardson.  Sergius  Grata,  a 
famous  Roman  well  liver,  considered  the  gilt- 
head  the  finest  of  all  fishes,  and  it  is  said  that  his 
surname  was  derived  from  this  fish.  He  intro- 
duced them  into  ponds,  and  cultivated  oysters  and 
other  shell-fish  that  the  giltheads  might  have  the 
most  delicate  food.  According  to  Pliny,  he  sug- 
gested and  designed  the  oyster  nurseries  at  Baiae 
upon  which  were  fed  the  sheepshead  which  were 
sold  to  the  Roman  epicures.  Few  fishes  to-day 
excel  the  sheepshead  when  properly  served,  and 
as  a  game  fish  it  ranks  high  when  taken  with  a 
light  rod  and  the  lightest  line. 

324 


The  Sheepshead  325 

I  have  fished  for  sheepshead  alongshore  from 
Long  Island  to  the  Chesapeake,  off  the  Georgia 
coast  at  Marion  Island,  and  far  out  on  the  Florida 
reef,  and  have  always  found  it  a  gamy  fish. 

It  belongs  to  the  family  Sparidce,  to  the  sub- 
genus  Archosargus,  and  is  known  to  science  as 
Archosargus  probatocephalus  (Walbaum).  Its 
head  is  large  and  high,  the  body  deep,  with 
a  long  dorsal  fin ;  the  tail  forked  but  not  deeply, 
a  powerful  organ.  The  mouth  is  large  and 
provided  with  a  curious  array  of  teeth,  those 
in  front  being  conical  or  incisorial,  for  tearing  or 
biting.  Back  of  these  are  others,  in  two  or 
three  rows,  which  are  crushers  or  grinders. 
These  are  suggestive  of  the  habits  of  the  sheeps- 
head, which  is  equipped  by  nature  to  live  upon 
shells  and  crustaceans,  and  wherever  found  it 
feeds  upon  young  oysters,  barnacles,  cockles,  and 
crabs  of  various  kinds.  With  the  front  teeth  it 
wrenches  shells  from  rocks  or  piers,  passes  them 
to  the  grinders,  where  they  are  crushed  as  though 
passing  through  a  rock  breaker.  In  color  the 
sheepshead  is  gray,  with  six  or  seven  vertical 
stripes  which  make  it  very  conspicuous.  It  is  a 
slow-swimming  fish,  frequenting  rocky  shores  in 
shallow  water,  piers,  and  old  wrecks,  the  latter 


326  Big  Game  Fishes 

particularly  being  favorite  resorts ;  and  whenever 
a  wreck  can  be  located  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  good 
sheepshead  fishing  will  be  found.  There  are 
several  such  ocean  rookeries  between  Newport 
and  Delaware  Bay  which  have  become  famous. 
I  have  had  excellent  fishing  near  Old  Point  Com- 
fort, where  I  have  taken  sheepshead  from  the 
wharf,  and  at  Beaufort.  The  fish  has  never  been 
seen  north  of  Cape  Cod,  and  some  localities 
which  knew  it  well  several  years  ago,  know  it  no 
more.  I  was  informed  by  an  old  fisherman  at 
Fisher's  Island  that  when  he  was  a  boy  sheeps- 
head were  plentiful,  but  faithful  fishing  there  failed 
to  obtain  a  rise;  though  not  many  miles  away, 
on  the  south  shore  of  Long  Island,  the  sheeps- 
head was  the  common  fish.  I  once  accompanied 
a  party  up  the  beach,  near  Cape  May,  who  waded 
out  into  the  breakers,  which  were  not  very  high, 
and  made  long  casts  out  over  the  supposed  loca- 
tion of  an  old  wreck,  some  exciting  sport  being 
the  result.  The  fishes  were  large  and  extremely 
gamy,  making  an  exhilarating  fight,  rendered  the 
more  exciting  by  the  capsizing  of  an  old  angler 
by  a  sea  as  he  was  about  to  land  his  fish. 

The  oyster-beds  of  the  Chesapeake  are  favorite 
localities  for  sheepshead,  and   I  have  taken  the 


The  S  beeps  bead  327 

fish  from  the  north  beach  at  Old  Point  Comfort, 
where  they  were  evidently  feeding  upon  the  crabs 
which  fairly  covered  the  bottom  at  times.  The 
bait  used  was  a  single  soft-shelled  crab  —  a  kill- 
ing lure.  There  are  numerous  fishing-grounds 
about  New  York  bay  well  known  to  boatmen  at 
Staten  Island,  Fort  Hamilton,  on  the  New  Jersey 
shore,  Jamaica  Bay,  Fire  Island,  South  Bay,  and 
various  other  localities.  All  these  places  have 
their  habitues ;  some  fish  with  hand-lines,  some 
with  rods,  who  have  the  shallow  mussel  beds  and 
other  "  spots  "  located  off  which  they  anchor,  cast- 
ing on  to  the  bank  with  good,  bad,  or  indifferent 
results  depending  upon  tide  and  weather.  The 
"beds"  can  be  often  recognized  by  the  quantities  of 
broken  mussel  shells.  On  the  outer  Florida  reef 
the  feeding-ground  of  the  porgies,  as  they  were 
called,  could  be  determined  by  a  dark  spot  on  the 
otherwise  clear  sand  of  a  shallow  lagoon,  sur- 
rounded by  the  broken  shells  of  bivalves.  The 
Hon.  William  Elliott,  in  his  delightful  "  Carolina 
Sports  on  Land  and  Water,"  describes  the  sport 
in  Port  Royal  Sound,  where  large  enclosures  were 
built  out  into  the  water  to  encourage  the  growth 
of  shell-fish  —  the  food  of  the  sheepshead.  Stands 
were  also  erected  for  the  angler,  who  was  a  man 


328  Big  Game  Fishes 

after  the  heart  of  the  salmon  fishermen,  the  rod 
used  being  "  twenty  feet "  long,  probably  a  single 
bamboo  pole. 

Such  an  angler  created  a  sensation  in  Southern 
California  waters  several  years  ago  by  advocat- 
ing long  rods.  It  so  happened  that  I  accom- 
panied him  one  day  and  observed  its  working. 
He  had  a  long  bamboo  pole,  the  longest  and 
stoutest  I  remember  having  seen,  and  the  method 
was  to  place  the  butt  of  the  rod  in  the  leather 
cap  on  the  seat,  and  when  a  strike  came  merely 
hold  on.  I  saw  this  long-rod  philosopher  play  a 
thirty-pound  yellowtail,  while  I  was  convinced 
that  he  was  fast  asleep ;  the  fish  seized  the  bait 
and  plunged  down,  hooking  itself,  taking  the 
tip  several  feet  under  water ;  but  the  tremendous 
strain  was  too  much  for  even  this  gamy  crea- 
ture, and  the  rod  gradually  raised  it,  when  the 
fish  made  another  rush,  and  again  the  back 
spring  lifted  it.  And  so  the  fight  went  on  until 
the  angler  awoke  and  reeled  in  the  exhausted 
fish.  Long  rods  are  to  be  commended,  but  the 
rod  which  does  all  the  fishing  is  an  embarras  de 
richesse. 

Mr.  Elliott  baited  one  hook  with  a  raw  oyster, 
its  attributes  being  an  appeal  to  the  fish's  sense 


The  Sbeepsbead  329 

of  smell,  —  in  a  word,  to  attract  it ;  while  on  the 
second  hook  was  a  boiled  oyster,  strong  and 
tenacious,  which  served  as  the  killing  lure.  The 
fish  is  supposed  to  migrate,  that  is,  it  disappears 
from  the  eyes  of  fishermen  in  its  northern  haunts 
in  winter,  either  moving  south,  out  into  deeper 
water,  or  lying  dormant.  At  Old  Point  Comfort, 
Virginia,  the  sheepshead  appeared  in  April,  some- 
times in  March,  disappearing  in  October.  On 
the  Florida  reef,  at  Garden  Key,  it  could  be 
caught  the  year  round,  but  was  much  more 
frequent  in  summer.  Georgia  is  apparently  the 
limit  of  the  supposed  migration ;  from  here  south 
it  was  found  the  year  round,  the  fishing  being 
merely  affected  by  the  question  of  bait.  The 
sheepshead  is  common  all  along  the  coast  of 
Florida  in  winter,  the  numbers  increasing  the 
farther  south  one  goes.  The  Indian  River  region 
down  to  Biscayne  Bay  is  a  favorite  locality  for 
it.  Mr.  Stearns  states  that  on  the  mainland 
Gulf  coast  the  fish  is  found  during  the  entire 
year,  especially  at  St.  Marks  River,  Cedar  Keys, 
Homosassa  River,  and  to  the  south.  On  the 
other  hand,  in  the  northern  Gulf  localities,  as 
Appalachicola,  St.  Andrews,  Mobile,  and  Pensa- 
cola,  it  is  migratory,  appearing  in  large  numbers 


330  Big  Game  Fishes 

only  in  October  and  November.  The  fish  spawns 
in  April  and  May  in  these  localities.  On  the 
outer  keys  spawning  fish  were  found  in  the 
shallow  lagoon  east  of  Long  Key  in  the  latter 
part  of  February  and  the  first  weeks  in  March, 
and  shortly  after  the  young  fish  were  seen, 
while  several  weeks  later  a  seine  hauled  about 
the  old  mangrove  roots  would  contain  great 
quantities  of  young,  easily  recognized  by  the 
black  stripes  or  bands. 

The  average  fish  I  caught  on  the  reef  weighed 
from  seven  to  twelve  and  eighteen  pounds,  while 
individuals  weighing  twenty  pounds  were  fre- 
quently taken.  Among  New  York  fishermen 
stories  of  extraordinarily  large  sheepshead  are 
often  reported,  but  individuals  weighing  fifteen 
pounds  are  considered  large  catches.  It  is  mar- 
vellous how  a  fish  will  shrink  and  shrivel  when 
subjected  to  the  deadly  scales  that  have  not  been 
encouraged  to  make  the  most  of  things.  I  once 
saw  a  sheepshead  which  had  been  caught  over 
an  old  wreck,  near  Asbury  Park,  which  was 
hailed  as  the  record;  but  it  appeared  later  that 
the  fish  was  "in  ballast/'  having  been  made  a 
repository  for  all  the  lead  sinkers  of  the  party. 

The  sheepshead  is  trapped  and  seined,  taken  with 


The  Sheepsbead  331 

hand-lines,  and  looked  upon  as  a  mere  commercial 
commodity  alongshore ;  but  it  is  a  game  fish  in  all 
the  term  implies  when  caught  with  a  rod.  In 
the  question  of  tackle  there  is  the  greatest  differ- 
ence in  taste,  and  most  of  the  sheepshead  are 
hauled  in  with  heavy  lines,  the  latter  being 
anchored  to  the  ground  with  a  heavy  sinker. 
Other  fishermen  use  tarpon  rods,  or  rods  which 
sell  as  bait  rods,  made  for  use  on  the  fishing 
steamers  which  run  out  of  New  York  to  the 
banks.  They  are  stiff  and  heavy,  to  permit  the 
hauling  of  a  dead  weight  from  a  considerable 
depth.  My  own  experience  with  the  sheepshead 
has  been  with  a  light  rod  not  less  than  eight 
and  a  half  feet  long  and  a  cuttyhunk  line  as 
delicate  as  one's  conscience  will  permit.  I  took 
my  largest  sheepshead  on  a  number  nine  cutty- 
hunk  line;  and  as  the  average  fish  weighs  but 
six  or  eight  pounds,  a  very  light  line  can  be 
employed.  A  sinker  is  necessary  at  times.  I 
have  fished  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns,  where 
my  heavy  sinker  seemed  to  be  always  on  the  sur- 
face; but  there  is  a  lull  in  the  current  between 
tides  which  is  a  good  time  to  begin  to  fish. 
Again,  the  bait  can  be  cast  up  the  current  and 
allowed  to  drift  down.  There  is  more  true 


332  Big  Game  Fisbes 

satisfaction  in  taking  a  fifteen-pound  fish  with 
a  single  gut  snood  and  a  small  hook  than 
with  a  wire  leader  designed  for  sharks,  or 
for  large  and  powerful  fishes  which  play  so 
long  that  their  fine  teeth  are  very  likely  to  saw 
and  sever  the  more  delicate  equipment.  An  in- 
teresting fish  sometimes  found  with  the  sheeps- 
head  is  the  triple-tail,  Lobotes  surinamensis.  It  is 
a  large  and  powerful  fish,  reaching  a  weight  of 
forty  or  fifty  pounds.  It  has  a  remarkably  wide 
geographical  range,  from  China  to  America,  and 
at  many  intermediate  localities.  I  took  a  speci- 
men at  the  "  Rip-raps,"  Old  Point  Comfort,  which 
weighed  about  twenty-five  pounds,  the  fish  mak- 
ing a  very  gamy  fight,  and  later  I  saw  speci- 
mens which  had  been  taken  on  the  St.  Johns.  In 
color  it  is  silvery  gray,  very  attractive  when 
taken,  and  resembling  the  common  "  blue  perch  " 
of  Santa  Catalina  waters.  It  is  high,  short,  and 
"thick-set,"  the  dorsal  and  anal  fins  extending 
so  far  backward  as  to  give  it  the  appearance  of 
having  three  tails,  hence  the  common  name.  It 
is  taken  all  alongshore,  from  New  York  to 
Florida,  but  in  such  limited  numbers  that  it  has 
never  been  a  factor  in  the  catch  of  the  anglers 
of  any  locality. 


SHEEPSHEAD 
Archosargus  probatocephalus  (Walbaum) 


TRIPLE-TAIL;    FLASHER 

Lobotes  surinamensis  (Bloch) 


CHAPTER   XXII 

THE  PARROT-FISHES 

"  And  there  crystal  pools,  peopled  with  fish, 
Argent  and  gold ;  and  some  of  Tyrian  skin, 

Some  crimson-barred.     And  ever  at  a  wish 
They  rose  obsequious,  till  the  wave  grew  thin 

As  glass  upon  their  backs,  and  then  dived  in, 
Quenching  their  ardent  scales  in  watery  gloom, 

Whilst  others  with  fresh  hues  rowed  forth  to  win 

My  changeable  regard." 

—  THOMAS  HOOD. 

IT  is  said  that  the  gods  held  the  scarus  as  first 
among  fishes,  and  Pliny  tells  us  that  during  the 
time  of  Emperor  Claudius  an  epicure  and  angler 
of  great  wealth,  one  Optatus  Elipertius,  collected 
a  large  number  of  the  most  beautiful  of  these 
fishes  and  liberated  them  in  the  Italian  sea  for 
the  benefit  of  posterity.  The  waters  of  the  outer 
reef,  and  of  our  new  colony  Porto  Rico,  abound 
in  these  birds  of  the  sea,  which,  in  their  fanci- 
ful coloring,  brilliant,  indeed  dazzling,  tints,  are 
among  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  dwellers  in 
these  tropic  seas.  In  my  early  days  on  the  reef 

333 


334  Big  Game  Fishes 

I  at  times  fished  from  a  small  craft  known  by 
the  euphonious  title  of  the  "  Bull  Pup,"  under  the 
command  of  a  genial  character  of  the  reef,  "  Long 
John."  I  frequently  hooked  a  fish  on  the  edge 
of  the  coral  in  fairly  deep  water,  which  bit  the 
hook  in  two  as  cleverly  as  I  could  have  cut  it 
with  a  file,  though  it  was  only  when  I  fished  with 
the  small  i/o  hook  described  in  angel-fishing. 
I  believed  the  unknown  to  be  a  small  shark,  but 
my  Conch  boatman,  Long  John,  said  it  was  a  loro 
verde,  a  fish  which  had  a  beak  like  that  of  a  parrot, 
—  was,  in  fact,  a  parrot-fish.  Acting  on  his  sug- 
gestion, I  changed  the  hook,  putting  on  what  he 
termed  a  "grunt  hook,"  which  had  a  leader,  or 
snell,  of  silver  guitar  string.  This  hook  was  what 
is  known  to  dealers  as  a  number  five,  spring  steel 
blackfish  hook,  and  while  small,  was  stout  and 
inflexible,  almost  impossible  to  break.  With  this 
and  a  very  light  line  and  pliable  rod  I  continued 
fishing,  landing  first,  as  though  to  show  what 
bizarre  game  there  was  over  this  remarkable 
coral  wall,  a  porcupine  fish,  which  when  brought 
to  the  surface  expanded  to  a  perfect  ball  covered 
with  spines,  and  when  cut  loose  sailed  away  on 
the  sea  like  a  balloon. 

I  next  hooked  a  fish  which  made  so  gallant  a 


The  Parrot-fishes  335 

rush  that  the  reel  sang  again,  and  Long  John, 
unused  to  rods,  stared  in  amazement  at  the  bam- 
boo, and  expressed  the  opinion  that  it  was  "  dun 
fer."  I  can  recall  no  North  Atlantic  fish,  except 
a  large  bluefish,  with  which  to  compare  this 
gamy  creature.  It  made  a  clean  dash  of  at  least 
one  hundred  feet  down  into  deep  water,  evidently 
following  the  sloping  bottom,  then  circled  around, 
coming  back  when  checked,  stopping  and  evi- 
dently shaking  its  head,  imparting  to  the  rod  a 
most  erratic  series  of  motions  which  seriously 
threatened  its  future  usefulness.  At  times  the 
rod  was  more  than  outclassed  by  this  fish,  and  I 
considered  it  good  fortune  more  than  anything 
else  that  I  succeeded  in  holding  it  at  all.  Now 
it  was  away,  deep  in  the  blue  channel,  then  came 
rushing  in,  plunging  down  the  coral  wall  by  the 
side  of  which  we  were  fishing.  A  gamier,  more 
keenly  active  fish  I  never  had  played.  For  sus- 
tained and  powerful  resistance,  it  was  a  royal  fish, 
and  when  finally  it  was  brought  to  the  surface 
after  a  hard  contest,  I  saw  that  I  had  been  play- 
ing a  despised  and,  so  far  as  anglers  are  con- 
cerned, utterly  neglected  parrot-fish.  I  was 
amazed.  I  was  familiar  with  the  young,  and  of 
all  fishes  it  is  to  the  eye  the  slowest,  the  most 


336  Big  Game  Fishes 

easy-going,  playing  about  the  coral  heads,  lying 
in  gorgonian  snug  corners,  a  gorgeous  poseur,  a 
scaled  coxcomb  of  the  fishes'  rialto,  perhaps  the 
last  individual  of  this  gorgeous  throng  that  would 
be  selected  as  a  hard  fighter,  a  breaker  of  hooks. 
The  names  given  fishes  are  sometimes  without 
rhyme  or  reason ;  but  no  better  appellative  could 
be  chosen  than  the  sea-parrot  for  this  doughty 
creature  which  lay  upon  the  surface,  rolling  its 
oddly  colored  blue  and  yellow  eyes,  flapping  its 
broad  pectoral  fins,  and  occasionally  lifting  its  big 
tail  to  scatter  water  over  the  boat,  as  though  to 
emphasize  the  fact  that  while  in  the  toils  it 
hurled  defiance  at  us.  In  color  and  general 
appearance  it  suggested  some  of  the  gaudy  ma- 
caws, especially  in  color,  as  encased  in  an  armor 
of  huge  scales  it  was  painted  a  vivid  turquoise 
blue  from  head  to  tail,  and  possessed  a  remark- 
able set  of  beaks,  solid  nippers,  and  biters  also 
colored.  Other  fishes  have  more  tints,  are  more 
beautiful ;  yet  I  recall  none  which  made  a  more 
striking  impression  upon  my  mind  than  this  sea- 
parrot,  which  eyed  me  so  intently,  I  fancied, 
wondering  whether  I  was  the  kind  of  an  angler 
who  had  a  high  appreciation  of  a  good  fighter 
and  would  release  it,  or  whether  I  was  merely 


The  Parrot-fishes  337 

a  plain  pot-hunter  fisherman,  who  would  murder 
it  in  cold  blood,  and  stow  it  away  in  a  bag  to  gloat 
over  its  size  and  weight  with  other  barbarians 
ashore. 

My  catch  was  estimated  at  three  and  a  half  feet 
in  length  as  it  lay  on  the  surface,  for  I  would  not 
allow  Long  John  to  take  it  in,  much  to  his 
amazement;  and  that  it  would  have  tipped  the 
scales  at  nearly  thirty  pounds,  I  am  confident, 
having  weighed  several  individuals  taken  in  a 
trap  or  net  for  scientific  purposes,  which  tipped 
the  scales  at  twenty  and  twenty-five  pounds.  As 
it  lay  on  the  water  it  was  a  beautiful  object,  seem- 
ingly painted  with  the  same  brush  used  in  deco- 
rating the  marvellous  turquoise  channels  of  the 
reef;  body,  fins,  tail,  even  the  iris,  was  the  same 
rich  and  radiant  hue,  giving  remarkable  expres- 
sion to  its  eye.  At  the  base  of  the  fins  the  blue 
was  deeper,  more  intense,  bordering  on  purple ;  the 
belly  was  greenish  blue ;  while  upon  its  "  cheeks," 
below  the  eye,  this  macaroni  of  the  "gulfs  en- 
chanted "  had  touches  of  rouge,  —  at  least  a 
decided  pink  flush  was  seen  that  heightened  its 
gorgeous  costuming.  The  lower  jaw  was  touched 
with  yellow,  the  pupil  of  the  eye  had  a  narrow 
yellow  band  inside  the  deep  blue  iris ;  give  to  the 


338  Big  Game  Fishes 

fish  a  long,  high  dorsal,  a  ramlike  "  snout "  ex- 
tending beyond  the  mouth,  and  a  faint  idea  of 
this  fish  may  be  had  by  the  reader  who  has  not 
seen  it.  My  boatman  announced  it  as  "pizen," 
and  proposed  to  kill  it  on  general  principles ;  but 
so  rare  a  foeman,  so  gallant  a  contestant,  never 
died  by  my  hand  unless  it  was  strongly  in  de- 
mand, and  to  Long  John's  wonderment  I  cut  it 
loose.  In  the  years  I  spent  on  the  reef  I  do  not 
think  my  catches  of  large  parrot-fishes  would 
number  over  ten  or  twelve,  and  this  was  the  larg- 
est, though  I  saw  a  crudely  mounted  specimen  in 
a  shop  in  Key  West  which  must  have  weighed 
over  forty  pounds;  but  such  fish  are  the  excep- 
tion, a  twenty-five-pound  fish  being  moderately 
rare,  the  average  fish  seen  around  the  coral 
heads  near  in  ranging  from  five  to  eight  pounds. 
I  unhesitatingly  give  the  loro  a  place  among  the 
hard-fighting  game  fishes  of  our  tropical  and 
semi-tropical  waters  when  taken  with  proper 
tackle. 

This  fish,  known  as  the  blue  parrot-fish,  loro, 
and  many  local  names,  is  the  blue  scarus  (Scarus 
coeruleus)  of  science.  It  has  a  wide  geographical 
range  from  the  coast  of  South  America  to  Mary- 
land. On  the  reef  the  fishermen  and  boatmen 


The  Parrot-fishes  339 

with  whom  I  came  in  contact  all  believed  it 
poisonous,  and  invariably  killed  and  threw  it 
away.  It  affected  water  of  medium  depth,  but 
came  in  upon  the  lagoons  at  night  to  feed.  At 
Porto  Rico,  according  to  Evermann,  it  is  a  more 
or  less  important  food  fish,  the  people  not  having 
the  foolish  superstition  of  many  of  the  Conchs. 
Dr.  Jordan  states  that  "  In  Hawaii  the  parrot- 
fishes,  being  eaten  raw,  are  very  highly  esteemed 
and  even  once  held  as  tabu,  to  be  touched  only 
by  royalty."  As  near  as  I  could  determine,  the 
men  whom  I  knew,  believed  the  fish  to  be  poison- 
ous because  it  was  "  green,"  when  in  point  of  fact 
it  was  blue,  though  another  large  green  parrot- 
fish  and  several  small  ones  found  here  fell  under 
the  ban.  Long  John  explained  to  me  that  on 
the  Cuban  coast  there  were  "submarine  ledges 
of  copper,"  which  certain  fishes,  like  parrot-fishes, 
ate  and  so  became  poisoned.  No  argument 
could  convince  the  men  that  they  were  mistaken, 
even  though  I  ate  the  parrot-fish  and  others,  and 
still  lived  to  tell  the  story.  Long  John  met  this 
self-sacrificing  experiment  with  the  remark  that 
"  Some  folks  was  pizen  proof." 

With  the  blue  parrot-fish  at  Long  Key  another 
form,  Pseudoscarus  guacamaia,  equally  as   large 


340  Big  Game  Fishes 

was  occasionally  caught  in  the  manner  described 
with  a  very  small  but  stout  hook  on  the  face  or 
at  the  base  of  a  perpendicular  coral  cliff.  The 
channels  here  were  very  deep  and  precipitous, 
and  were  often  lined  with  branch  coral  which 
formed  an  almost  perpendicular  wall,  a  perfect 
cheveaux  de  frise,  the  interstices  of  which  formed 
favorite  lurking-places  for  the  parrot-fishes  of 
large  size.  This  fish,  though  rarely  caught  with 
a  line,  was,  when  three  feet  in  length  and  rang- 
ing from  eighteen  to  twenty  pounds  in  weight,  a 
powerful,  active  fish.  Large  individuals  were 
frequently  taken  at  night  on  the  edge  of  the 
lagoon,  showing  that,  like  many  others,  it  came 
into  the  shallows  to  feed.  It  was  held  in  no 
esteem  by  the  fishermen,  being  considered  poison- 
ous; its  only  economic  value  lay  in  the  "bills," 
which  were  a  vivid  blue  when  fresh,  green  later, 
and  which  were  sold  to  visitors  as  curiosities. 
The  remarkable  feature  about  these  fishes  are 
the  singular  "bills"  or  teeth,  which  in  the  dif- 
ferent species  coalesce,  more  or  less,  forming  a 
sharp,  solid  ridge  instead  of  several  teeth.  This 
biting  armament  partakes  of  the  color  of  the  fish. 
In  the  large  parrot-fish  described  they  were  pink- 
ish and  white ;  in  another  genus,  green.  The 


The  Parrot-fishes  341 

fishermen  believed  that  this  armament  enabled 
the  parrot-fishes  to  bite  off  the  tips  of  branch 
coral,  which  constituted  their  principal  food. 
When  I  expressed  a  doubt  of  this,  Long  John 
took  me  to  a  "  grove "  of  branch  coral  and 
showed  me  the  tips  of  countless  branches  where 
the  polyps  had  been  destroyed  by  the  parrot- 
fishes;  but  I  found  that  the  real  "coral  eater" 
was  a  huge  marine  worm,  which  literally  drew 
itself  over  the  tips  of  branch  coral  as  one  would 
pull  the  finger  of  a  glove,  swallowing  it  to  a  dis- 
tance of  four  or  more  inches,  thus  securing  the 
polyps.  That  the  parrot-fish  could  bite  off  a 
coral  branch  there  is  little  doubt,  or  that  it  does 
at  times  I  would  not  venture  to  deny;  but  its 
principal  food  consists  of  crustaceans,  seaweed, 
echini,  and  the  ordinary  game  of  the  tropical 
shallows,  —  this  from  an  examination  of  its  inter- 
nal economy. 

But  a  few  ardent  anglers  will  have  the  temerity 
to  spend  a  summer  on  the  outer  reef  where  my 
old  boatmen,  Long  John,  Bob  Rand,  Chief,  and 
Busby,  lie  buried  by  the  great  current  which 
sweeps  silently  on  through  these  isles  of  eternal 
summer. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

THE   DOLPHIN 

"  A  shoal  of  dolphins,  tumbling  in  wild  glee, 
Glowed  with  such  orient  tints,  they  might  have  been 
The  rainbow's  offspring,  where  it  met  the  ocean." 

—  MONTGOMERY. 

FEW  anglers  have  taken  this  beautiful  creature, 
whose  home  is  upon  the  high  seas,  and  whose 
presence  often  gladdens  the  heart  of  the  mariner 
in  the  idle  forties;  hence  few  know  the  amount 
of  power,  force,  exhilaration,  and  game  qualities 
possessed  by  this  gorgeous  acrobat,  this  harlequin 
of  the  sea.  It  happened  some  years  ago  that  I 
was  caught  at  sea  in  a  remarkable  calm,  which 
continued  for  nearly  a  week,  during  which  period 
the  ship  drifted  many  miles,  but  sailed  not  one. 
We  were  in  the  Gulf  Stream,  so  went  on  at  a 
mysterious  pace,  yet  without  sails,  to  the  measure 
of  the  eternal  tapping  and  rippling  music  of 
countless  reefing  points  and  the  nerve-rasping 
creaking  of  booms  whose  jaws,  drying  under  the 

342 


The  Dolphin  343 

pitiless  heat,  seemed  to  scream  in  very  agony 
at  every  lunge  of  the  ship.  All  the  expedients 
known  to  mariners  were  brought  into  play.  The 
foremast  was  hammered  by  all  hands.  The  cap- 
tain of  the  galley,  a  jolly  shipmate  under  some 
circumstances,  whistled  for  the  wind  with  a  rare 
faith,  while  the  good  skipper  swore  and  believed 
himself  bewitched  as  the  days  sped  by. 

Such  monotony  became  intolerable,  and  I 
began  to  occupy  myself  by  rowing  about  in  a 
boat,  always  keeping  near  the  ship  in  case  the 
welcome  wind  should  come.  We  were  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  famous  Sargasso  Sea.  Great 
patches  of  sargassum,  the  gulfweed,  covered  the 
water  everywhere,  each  islet  forming,  at  least  to 
me,  a  fascinating  world  in  itself.  They  were  float- 
ing islands  with  marvellous  populations,  —  crabs, 
shells,  shell-less  "  shells,"  and  fishes,  —  all  colored 
the  exact  tint  of  their  surroundings,  a  rich  green. 
Here  was  the  strange  antennarius,  or  walking  fish, 
with  its  nest,  a  bunch  of  weed  held  together  by  a 
glutinous  secretion  and  covered  with  myriads  of 
eggs  the  size  of  a  pin's  head.  So  marvellous  was 
this  fish  in  its  mimicry  that  I  could  hardly  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  weed  when  lying  on  it,  even 
with  my  face  but  two  feet  distant. 


344  Big  Game  Fishes 

On  these  trips  I  took  a  rod,  hoping  to 
catch  a  bonito,  and  so  it  came  about  that  one 
day,  I  think  the  fourth  of  our  imprisonment, 
when  every  one  was  desperate,  that  I  ran  foul 
of  the  misnamed  dolphins.  I  was  sculling  along 
to  enter  a  little  bay  in  the  gulfweed,  when  I  saw 
a  number  of  large  fishes  come  coursing  along, 
charging  the  weed  evidently  in  search  of  small 
fry.  Quickly  taking  the  rod,  which  was  baited 
with  a  small  flying-fish  that  had  flown  aboard 
ship  in  the  night,  I  cast  fairly  among  them,  and 
I  have  reason  to  believe  that  every  dolphin  in 
the  pack  —  and  I  say  pack  advisedly  —  dashed 
for  it.  One  fortunate  fish  took  it  on  the  run  and 
never  stopped  until  two  hundred  feet  of  my  line 
was  unreeled,  to  such  music  as  I  had  never  heard 
before.  The  following  day,  when  I  took  the  reel 
apart  to  see  what  had  happened,  I  found  the 
interior  flaked  and  covered  with  brass  filings, 
which  told  the  story  of  that  rush.  The  fish  was 
followed  by  the  entire  school,  and  when  I  finally 
checked  it,  they  noted  every  move  until  I  had  the 
gamy  creature  in  the  toils.  Such  rushes  in  and 
out,  such  doubling,  such  sudden  stops,  were  never 
seen.  Suddenly  with  a  wild  rush  the  fish  would 
encircle  the  boat,  then  dash  into  a  mass  of  weed, 


The  Dolphin  345 

and  for  fifteen  minutes  I  did  not  gain  thirty  feet 
on  this  glorious  fish,  and  I  never  would  have 
caught  it  on  my  light  tackle  had  not  hard  luck, 
the  very  hardest,  fallen  to  the  lot  of  this  beautiful 
"  offspring  of  the  rainbow."  I  fought  it,  played  it, 
turned  it,  but  seemed  incapable  with  my  rod  and 
line  to  bring  it  in ;  and  finally,  in  one  of  its 
rushes  in  a  circle,  it  dashed  into  a  particularly 
dense  mass  of  gulfweed,  and  with  the  line  so 
completely  involved  itself  that  I  took  it  with 
ease  —  the  most  bare-faced  act  of  piracy  ever 
perpetrated  in  this  latitude,  I  dare  say. 

When  I  approached,  stopping  now  and  then 
to  reel  in  the  slack,  the  dolphin  was  lying  flat 
upon  its  side  almost  entirely  out  of  water,  its 
efforts  and  struggles  forcing  it  further  out  on 
the  thick  mat  of  weed.  How  shall  I  describe 
its  wonders,  its  flashes  of  color,  gorgeous  changes 
from  tint  to  shade,  its  dazzling  effulgence  ?  I 
have  never  seen  anything  to  compare  with  it  in 
suddenness  of  unexpected  beauties,  unless  I  ex- 
cept a  large  squid  which  I  once  kept  in  confine- 
ment alive  for  an  hour,  over  whose  surface  color 
changes  in  all  the  tints  of  red  passed  with  such 
rapidity  that  it  could  only  be  compared  to  heat 
lightning,  which  I  have  observed  in  the  tropics 


346  Big  Game  Fishes 

when  there  was  absolutely  no  cessation,  but  a 
never  ceasing  pulsating  glare.  I  could  think  of 
but  one  comparison, —  the  interior  of  a  large  and 
brilliant  haliotis  shell  with  its  marvellous  shades 
of  blue,  yellow,  red,  pink,  violet,  black,  and  white 
pearl.  This  might  convey  in  some  degree  the 
beauties  of  the  dolphin  as  it  changes  color  in  the 
bright  sunlight.  The  fish  was  nearly  four  feet  in 
length,  and  I  should  judge  weighed  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  sixty  pounds.  Its  head  was  large, 
mouth  big,  eyes  radiant,  and  down  the  back  to  the 
sharp-pointed  tail  a  long,  purple  dorsal  fin  splashed 
with  other  tints,  itself  a  coat  of  many  colors. 

In  general  appearance  the  dolphin  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive  of  all  fishes.  The  prevailing 
tint  is  greenish  olive,  brownish  olive  above ;  the 
belly  white  with  a  golden  sheen ;  but  the  most 
marked  ornamentation  is  a  series  of  vivid  splashes 
of  labradorite  blue  along  the  upper  portion.  Add 
to  this,  blue-splashed  fins  and  a  yellow  tail,  and 
some  idea  of  this  radiant  creature  may  be  imag- 
ined—  a  fish  which,  if  available  to  anglers  near 
shore,  would  take  its  place  among  the  great  game 
fishes  of  the  world. 

A  few  days  later  the  "dead  calm"  gave  way 
before  the  trade:  a  sleeper  awakened,  and  the 


The  Dolphin  347 

ship  made  her  course  again  under  the  stiff  breeze, 
with  cordage  whistling  —  the  music  of  Arion  in 
the  ^Egean  Sea.  The  dolphins  came  in  schools 
and  raced  along  under  the  cutwater,  darting  by 
it,  performing  mighty  feats  of  valor.  It  was  an 
easy  matter  to  observe  and  catch  them,  and 
swinging  from  an  improvised  seat  on  the  dolphin 
striker  the  men  supplied  the  galley  with  these 
splendid  fishes. 

Few  fishes  are  better  known  than  the  dolphin, 
yet  as  rarely  seen  at  close  quarters,  though  I  have 
often  taken  them  from  the  bows  of  ships  at  sea, 
and  the  sport  is  a  common  one  among  sailors. 
The  real  dolphin  is  a  well-known  figure  in  my- 
thology. It  was  Arion  who,  captured  at  sea  by 
pirates,  when  sentenced  to  death,  asked  permis- 
sion to  play  upon  his  harp.  The  notes  drifted 
away  over  the  sea  so  sweetly  that  they  attracted 
a  school  of  dolphins,  and  when  Arion  was  tossed 
over  he  fell  upon  the  back  of  one  and  was  carried 
to  the  shore ;  hence  we  see  in  the  heavens  Arion's 
harp  and  the  dolphin  forming  the  well-known 
constellation  of  that  name. 

The  dolphins  (Coryph&nida)  are  pelagic  fishes 
living  on  the  high  seas  and  offshore  on  the  Amer- 
ican coast  from  Virginia  to  the  Rio  Grande,  often 


348  Big  Game  Fishes 

venturing  beyond  these  lines,  but  rarely  if  ever 
seen  inshore.  There  is  a  single  genus  and  but 
two  species,  the  one  described,  C.  hippurus,  a 
large,  powerful  fish,  attaining  the  length  of  six 
feet,  and  C.  equisetis,  from  two  to  three  feet. 
The  name  dolphin  is  an  unfortunate  misnomer; 
the  fish  might  better  be  called  harlequin,  as  the 
name  dolphin  is  applied  to  the  mammalian  dol- 
phins —  small,  whalelike  animals,  equally  common 
and  referred  to  in  mythology.  Doubtless  few 
anglers  have  seen  the  real  dolphin  (Delphinus) 
landed.  I  once  saw  a  bottle-nose  dolphin,  weigh- 
ing about  fifty  pounds,  which  was  taken  with 
hook  and  line  and  sardine  bait  at  Santa  Catalina. 
The  angler  supposed  he  had  a  seal,  and  landed 
the  animal  only  after  a  hard  and  consistent 
struggle ;  and  knowing  all  the  details  of  the  cap- 
ture, I  am  enabled  to  place  this  interesting  crea- 
ture on  record  as  a  very  gamy  catch. 

While  the  fish  dolphin  is  a  gorgeous  creature, 
it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  see  at  the  Califor- 
nia islands  another  fish,  a  cousin  germane,  whose 
glories  cannot  be  adequately  described.  This 
is  the  butterfly-fish,  the  opah,  Lampris  luna, 
known  as  cravo,  poisson  luna,  soho,  and  other 
names  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  It  attains  a 


The  Dolphin  349 

weight  of  nearly  five  hundred  pounds,  is  an  ac- 
tive, hard-fighting  fish  extremely  difficult  to  catch, 
and  may  be  considered  the  rarest  of  what  might 
be  termed  the  pelagic  game  fishes  of  the  United 
States,  which,  though  rarely  seen  near  the  main- 
land shores,  are  found  about  the  adjacent  islands 
of  the  Pacific  from  the  Coronados  to  the  Faral- 
lones,  and  on  the  high  seas  in  general.  Large 
individuals  have  been  seen  at  Monterey  on  the 
California  coast.  I  remember  well  when  a  fish- 
erman at  Avalon  came  to  tell  me  of  the  splendid 
fish  he  had  taken,  and  the  beautiful  object  which 
met  my  eyes  on  going  to  the  beach  where  the 
opha,  a  small  individual  weighing  perhaps  fifty 
pounds,  was  hung.  Its  normal  or  ground  tint  ap- 
peared to  be  dull  silver,  but  over  this  was  drawn  a 
seeming  fabric  of  rose-lilac  hue,  while  dotted  over 
the  surface  were  round,  pronounced,  vivid  silvery 
spots,  giving  the  fish  a  most  artificial  appearance. 
The  fins  were  vermilion;  the  eyes  very  large,  larger 
than  in  any  other  fish  I  recall,  and  a  deep  blue, 
completing  a  make-up  which  was  at  once  striking 
and  beautiful.  The  flesh  was  a  deep  red,  and 
recalled  salmon  in  its  flavor.  If  this  shy  fish  of 
many  glories  was  available,  it  would  afford  excel- 
lent sport  to  the  lover  of  big  game  at  sea. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE  MARIPOSAS 

"There  we  sit 
For  a  bit 
Till  we  fish  entangle." 

—  WALTON.    Piscator's  Song. 

AMONG  the  fishes  of  semi-tropical  America 
there  are  many  which  are  passed  by  with  indif- 
ference by  anglers  for  the  very  good  reason  that 
their  limited  time  is  wholly  occupied  with  tarpon 
and  the  larger  game.  To  know  them  all  and 
know  them  well,  it  is  necessary  to  spend  the  hot 
months  of  summer  in  the  haunts  where  they  are 
at  their  best.  It  was  my  fortune  for  several 
years  to  have  the  midsummer  fishing  on  the  ex- 
treme outer  Florida  reef  —  the  land  of  the  "tin 
cow  "  and  the  roaring  nineties,  where  the  heat  at 
times  was  intolerable,  and  only  cheerfully  faced 
by  youth  or  the  most  ardent  lover  of  sport.  I 
see  the  long  stretch  of  water,  the  green-capped 
keys  lying  on  its  surface  like  gems,  the  clumps 
of  graceful  cocoa  palms,  through  which  the  wind 

350 


The  Mariposas  351 

sighs  and  makes  rippling  music ;  the  groups  of 
mangroves  growing  in  the  water,  the  long  sub- 
merged reef,  the  old  wreck,  the  clouds  of  snowy 
terns.  I  recall  the  submarine  garden,  the  coral 
groves  cut  by  strange  channels  of  turquoise-blue, 
the  colossal  heads  of  coral  eaten  out  into  curious, 
vaselike  shapes,  the  masses  of  plumelike  gorgo- 
nias  floating,  waving  eternally  in  the  restless  cur- 
rent, the  paradise  of  the  southern  seas. 

In  these  gardens  were  some  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  all  fishes,  known  as  mariposas  and  angel- 
fishes,  the  various  species  being  garbed  in  colors 
so  brilliant  and  startling  that  one  could  almost 
believe  that  nature  was  masquerading.  In  the 
wealth  of  other  game  they  are  rarely  noticed  and 
rarely  caught,  so  small  are  their  mouths.  Espe- 
cially rigged  tackle  is  necessary,  at  least  the  angler 
fishing  for  the  gray  snapper,  yellowtail,  or  jack 
would  never  take  a  mariposa  unless  by  accident ; 
but  once  caught,  they  would  always  be  included 
among  the  delight  givers  of  the  reef. 

Anchoring  just  outside  the  fringing  reef  on 
which  the  sea  was  beating,  over  one  of  the  beau- 
tiful coral  plantations,  with  a  water-glass  myriads 
of  these  gorgeous  fishes  could  be  seen  in  water 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  deep,  some  attaining  a 


352  Big  Game  Fishes 

weight  of  twenty-five  pounds,  though  represented 
about  the  wharves  by  very  much  smaller  individ- 
uals. My  first  introduction  to  them  was  more  by 
accident  than  anything  else.  I  was  fishing  for 
yellowtails  (Fig.  9),  the  gamy  gold-tinted  fish  so 
common  on  the  reef,  when  a  huge  barracuda  came 
drifting  in  from  the  outer  Gulf  Stream,  and  hovered 
about,  looking  us  over  with  its  black  staring  eyes, 
which  gave  a  suggestion  of  how  the  plesiosaurus 
might  have  looked.  I  had  no  bait,  so  dropped  a 
"  fly  "  hook  over,  hoping  to  catch  a  small  grunt  or 
yellowtail  which  could  be  used  as  a  lure  for  the 
barracuda.  Instead,  I  hooked  a  spadefish  of 
three  or  four  pounds,  which  gave  me  so  spirited 
a  contest  that  I  determined  to  fish  for  them  with 
intent  to  kill.  An  eight-foot  bamboo  rod  was  at 
hand  and  a  delicate  line  comparing  to  a  number 
twelve  cuttyhunk;  to  this  was  added  a  gut- 
snelled  hook  equivalent  to  a  number  eleven  steel 
sproat  hook,  a  very  small  affair  for  so  powerful  a 
fish,  but  necessary  on  account  of  the  small  mouth 
of  this  game ;  briefly,  the  hook  should  be  very 
small  but  stout.  This  I  baited  with  the  red  meat 
of  the  crayfish,  or  spiny  lobster,  and  cast  a  few 
feet  out.  Some  manipulation  was  necessary  to 
keep  it  from  the  smaller  fry,  but  after  a  number 


The  Mariposas  353 

of  small  catches  I  hooked  a  fish  which  soon 
demonstrated  that  it  was  essentially  game.  I  had 
no  thumb  brake,  and  the  fish  took  my  line  at 
marvellous  speed,  resisting  all  attempts  to  capture 
it,  and  putting  the  delicate  tackle  to  the  test  more 
than  once,  coming  in  only  after  a  well-sustained 
protest.  The  captive  must  have  weighed  be- 
tween eighteen  and  twenty  pounds ;  and  on  other 
occasions  I  took  larger  specimens  of  this  interest- 
ing and  conspicuously  beautiful  fish,  shaped  very 
much  like  the  typical  angel-fishes,  with  a  high, 
elevated  body  much  compressed,  the  upper  or 
dorsal  and  anal  fins  extending  back  in  graceful 
points  suggesting  plumes,  giving  the  fish  the 
appearance  of  having  three  tails.  My  boatman, 
Long  John,  called  it  a  porgee,  the  third  fish  to 
which  the  name  was  applied  on  this  portion  of 
the  reef. 

The  fish,  which  is  Chcetodipterus  faber  of  sci- 
ence, has  a  wide  geographical  range.  I  have 
caught  small  individuals  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  at 
Aransas  Pass,  Texas,  at  the  Tortugas,  Old  Point 
Comfort,  Virginia,  and  have  seen  it  taken  from  a 
pound  net  in  New  York  harbor  near  Coney  Island. 
Dr.  Jordan  describes  it  from  San  Diego,  Califor- 
nia. The  young  are  easily  recognized  by  the  six 


354  Big  Game  Fishes 

or  seven  pronounced  stripes,  one  of  which  passes 
directly  through  the  eye.  In  Florida  I  found  this 
fish  everywhere  about  the  large  coral  heads,  al- 
ways in  company  with  angel-fishes  and  yellow- 
tails,  adding  to  the  manifold  attractions  of  these 
submarine  gardens.  The  most  constant  compan- 
ion of  this  gamy  creature  was  the  black  angel- 
fish,  which  so  far  as  shape  is  concerned  closely 
resembles  it.  Very  large  individuals  attain  a 
weight  of  ten  pounds  or  more,  averaging  much 
smaller  about  the  wharves  and  docks;  yet  few 
fishes  of  their  size  present  so  brave  a  front  and 
make  so  desperate  and  sustained  a  fight  against 
capture.  The  struggles  of  a  trout  of  the  same 
weight  or  even  a  black-bass  fade  into  insignifi- 
cance when  compared  to  this  broad  gray  or  black 
fish  of  extraordinary  countenance  and  vivid  white 
lips.  The  angel-fishes  proper  belong  to  the 
family  Chaetodontidae,  which  includes  nine  or  ten 
genera  or  about  two  hundred  species,  mainly 
found  in  tropical  seas  the  world  over,  in  some 
localities  being  known  as  coral-fishes,  and  every- 
where among  the  most  gorgeous  and  beautiful 
of  the  denizens  of  the  ocean,  their  vivid  coloring 
rendered  more  striking  by  the  contrast  of  the 
sombre  olive-hued  coral.  Flashing  like  gems  in 


The  Mariposas  355 

all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  this  group  is  well 
named  the  mariposas,  or  butterfly-fishes. 

The  black  angel-fish,  Pomacanthus  arcuatus 
(Fig.  9),  might  better  be  termed  the  gray  angel-fish, 
as  in  thousands  observed  on  the  reef  I  never  saw 
a  black  individual  or  one  that  approached  black ; 
hence  the  black  angel-fish  is  black  in  the  sense 
that  the  white  elephant  of  Siam  is  white.  Its 
color  is  a  peculiar  beautiful  gray,  some  of  the 
scales  being  very  dark  with  white  borders.  The 
broad  tail  has  a  white  border ;  the  mouth  is  pure 
white.  All  these  fishes,  due  to  the  lofty  or  ele- 
vated "  forehead,"  the  projecting  mouth,  and  their 
faculty  of  moving  the  eyes  more  than  many 
other  fishes,  have  more  of  a  "  face  "  in  the  human 
sense  than  almost  any  other  group  of  fishes ;  and 
to  watch  them  in  the  home  of  their  choice  is  an 
interesting,  indeed,  fascinating,  occupation.  In 
movement  they  are  exceedingly  dignified,  spend- 
ing much  time  posing  among  the  branches  of 
coral,  and  assuming  many  mannerisms  which 
attract  one's  attention.  I  hooked  them  readily 
with  the  tackle  described,  and  was  always  repaid. 
The  first  rush  away  of  the  fish  is  so  violent  that 
the  novice  almost  invariably  loses  the  delicate 
line  and  hook ;  and  so  impetuous  is  the  dash,  so 


356  Big  Game  Fishes 

determined  the  resistance,  that  one  is  easily  over- 
matched. 

In  watching  the  fish  I  found  that  it  made  its 
sturdy  resistance  by  keeping  its  broad  side  to 
me,  fighting  inch  by  inch ;  and  when  wearied  it 
would  bound  upward  and  wear  away  round  on  the 
other  tack,  presenting  its  opposite  front,  all  the 
time  making  a  struggle  that  could  but  arouse 
the  admiration  of  the  angler.  These  experiences 
were,  of  course,  with  light  rod  and  delicate  tackle. 
With  a  twenty-five-ounce  rod  six  and  a  half  feet 
long,  and  a  large  line,  the  angel-fishes  would 
drop  back  into  the  ranks  of  "  bait  stealers  "  and 
not  be  considered  worth  catching,  nor  indeed 
would  a  trout  under  the  same  circumstances. 
I  have  seen  the  black  angel-fish  taken  in  Vir- 
ginia, though  rarely,  its  home  being  in  tropical 
seas,  and  on  the  Florida  reef  and  the  West  Indies 
in  general.  There  it  is  one  of  the  commonest  of 
fishes,  and  by  no  means  a  poor  table  fish,  though 
there  is  a  strong  prejudice  against  it  in  some 
localities,  many  believing  it  to  be  poisonous. 

Not  so  common,  but  a  gamy  catch,  is  the 
yellow  angel-fish,  Holacanthus  ciliaris,  with  brill- 
iant yellow  margins  to  its  scales,  its  body  not 
so  elevated  as  in  the  black  angel,  the  tip  of  what 


The  Mariposas  357 

might  be  called  the  dorsal  and  anal  "  plumes  " 
extending  beyond  the  tail  with  graceful  sweep, 
making  the  fish  a  charming  object  in  the  gardens 
of  the  sea.  It  attains  the  length  of  two  feet  and 
is  often  seen,  its  curious  face  peeping  from  some 
crevice  in  the  coral,  from  which  it  can  be  lured 
with  crayfish  bait.  The  young  of  nearly  all 
these  angel-fishes  differ  so  in  appearance  from 
the  adults  that  they  would  hardly  be  suspected 
as  relatives,  and  often  are  far  more  beautiful. 
In  the  Southern  California  waters  is  found  a 
form  known  as  the  golden  angel-fish.  The  adult 
is  a  rich  golden  yellow  with  no  break;  but 
the  young,  which  I  have  kept  alive  of  all  ages, 
present  a  singular  contrast  to  them  and  are 
thought  by  the  fishermen  to  be  an  entirely  differ- 
ent fish,  and  are  called  "  electric  "  fishes  from  the 
fact  that  the  blue  tints  which  mark  them  are  so 
vivid  that  they  appear  to  flash  with  an  iridescence, 
or  like  an  electric  spark.  The  very  young  are 
blue  over  the  entire  surface,  but  as  they  grow 
this  brilliant  and  beautiful  color  seems  to  give 
way  and  they  become  spotted,  then  striped,  then 
faintly  tipped  with  blue,  finally  losing  it  entirely 
to  become  golden  angel-fishes  in  all  the  term 
implies. 


358  Big  Game  Fisbes 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  latter  fish  is 
its  tameness.  Through  a  water-glass  I  have 
watched  a  diver  in  armor  at  the  bay  of  Avalon, 
who  sat  upon  the  bottom  and  crushed  some 
black  echini,  whereupon  numbers  of  these  fishes 
swarmed  about  him,  eating  from  his  hand  with 
great  complacency.  At  my  request  he  took 
down  a  wire  box  and  placing  some  bait  in  it, 
caught  several  of  the  little  creatures.  On  the 
Florida  reef  a  brilliant  assemblage  could  be  col- 
lected by  tossing  over  some  crayfish  at  which 
the  radiant  creatures  would  rush,  and  amid  them 
there  generally  would  be  the  singular  surgeon 
fish  which  carries  its  lance  in  the  side  of  the  tail 
(Fig.  9),  which  is  freely  used  to  enable  it  to  hold 
its  own  in  the  struggle  for  existence.  To  land 
the  game  is  not  everything  in  fishing,  or  the  chief 
end  of  the  angler;  indeed,  these  diversions,  the 
study  and  observation  of  the  habits  of  fishes,  the 
unexpected  glimpses  of  their  home  life,  the  view 
of  their  beauties  and  charm  of  coloring,  are  a  part 
of  the  day's  fishing,  which  are  perhaps  more 
compensating  than  to  make  a  goodly  bag.  This 
is  especially  true  on  our  southern  borders,  where 
vast  reefs  stretch  away,  embracing  coral  lagoons 
and  shallows. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE   HALIBUT 

"  Flat  fish,  with  eyes  distorted,  square,  ovoid,  rhomboid,  long, 
Some  cased  in  mail,  some  slippery-backed,  the  feeble  and  the 

strong ; 
Sedaned  on  poles,  or  dragged  on  hooks,  or  poured  from  tubs 

like  water, 

Gasp  side  by  side,  together  piled,  in  one  promiscuous  slaughter." 

—  BADHAM. 

THAT  the  halibut  might  be  a  game  fish  under 
certain  conditions  dawned  upon  me  some  years 
ago  when  hunting  for  the  tuna  off  the  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire  coasts.  My  companion,  a 
local  fisherman  of  repute,  had  anchored  the  dory 
about  six  miles  offshore,  and  standing  upright, 
with  a  line  to  port  and  starboard,  was  "  codding  " 
after  the  approved  method.  Every  few  moments 
he  would  drop  one  line  and  haul  vigorously  on 
the  other,  and  in  due  course  of  time  "boat"  a 
fine  fish,  during  which  operation  I  took  the  first 
line  and  so  experienced  some  of  the  melancholy 
joys  of  the  deep-water  hand-liner.  It  was  while 

359 


360  Big  Game  Fishes 

relieving  my  companion  in  this  way  that  I 
hooked  something  which  bade  fair  to  lift  me  out 
of  the  dory,  then  when  I  renewed  my  hold,  the 
unknown  jerked  my  arms  into  the  water,  whirling 
the  dory  about  in  the  most  spirited  manner,  so 
convincing  me  that  I  had  hooked  a  ground  shark 
that  I  was  inclined  to  pass  the  line  to  the  pro- 
fessional. But  suddenly  the  fish  began  to  rise 
and  came  to  the  surface  nearly  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  away,  tossing  the  water  into  foam, 
following  it  by  a  dash  around  the  boat  that  would 
have  made  the  reputation  of  many  a  game  fish. 

"  A  halibut,  I'll  swan ! "  exclaimed  my  com- 
panion, "  and  a  sockdolliger." 

Now  every  real  angler  knows  what  a  "sock- 
dolliger" is,  and  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  refer 
to  it ;  but  for  the  benefit  of  the  layman,  the  un- 
fortunate who  has  never  fished,  I  may  say  that 
the  term  applies  to  those  remarkable  fishes  of 
gigantic,  even  heroic  size  which  constitute  the 
main  subject  of  conversation  among  anglers  in 
the  out  season.  It  is  the  fish  that  always  escapes, 
the  record-breaker ;  every  angler  has  hooked  it  a 
score  of  times,  but  has  never  landed  it,  and  if  the 
truth  were  told,  never  expects  to. 

It  will  be  seen  that  I  was  in  a  most  fortunate 


HALIBUT 
Hippoglossus  hippoglossus 


CHINOOK,    KING,   OR  QUINNAT  SALMON 
Oncorhynchus  chonicha 


The  Halibut  361 

and  unconventional  position.  I  had  hooked  the 
sockdolliger  before  a  witness  who  had  proclaimed 
it  on  the  high  seas,  and  I  readily  understood  why 
he  was  so  anxious  to  take  the  line,  —  he  wished  the 
credit.  His  argument  that  it  might  be  a  five- 
hundred-pound  fish,  which  would  be  valuable  to 
him,  and  that  he  knew  just  how  to  manage  "  such 
critters,"  fell  on  deaf  ears.  I  had  chartered  the 
craft  and  skipper,  the  sockdolliger  was  my  pre- 
rogative, and  I  ordered  the  envious  boatman  to 
haul  in  the  float  anchor,  and  taking  my  place  in 
the  stern  of  the  dory  prepared  to  land  the  fish  if  it 
took  all  summer.  It  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  the 
details  of  this  experience,  needless  to  say  that  the 
fish  plunged  to  the  bottom  again ;  it  had  come  to 
the  surface  merely  to  "  size  me  up,"  and  had  re- 
turned satisfied  that  it  was  merely  a  question  of 
time  with  me.  I  had  lifted  sulking  turtles  on  the 
Florida  reef ;  had  toiled  with  the  big  sunfish,  side 
on  ;  had  labored  with  rays  from  the  manta  down ; 
and  had  lifted  seeming  tons  of  coral  when  fishing 
for  red  snappers  in  the  Gulf ;  but  all  these  "sulkers" 
seemed  combined  in  this  mighty  fish,  which  moved 
slowly  on,  taking  line  foot  by  foot  with  such  regu- 
larity that  I  began  to  realize  that  it  was  tipping 
over  the  side  of  some  submarine  hill  and  going 


362  Big  Game  Fishes 

down  into  the  deep  valley  of  Despair.  My  boat- 
man lighted  his  pipe  and  asked  me  what  I  was 
going  to  do  when  the  remaining  fifty  feet  of  line 
had  disappeared.  He  was  clearly  in  the  sarcastic 
stage,  and  I  retorted  by  suggesting  that  he  take 
the  oars  and  see  what  could  be  done.  This 
stopped  the  run,  and  by  the  most  heroic  and 
muscle-rending  labor  I  gained  twenty  feet  on 
the  line,  then  lay  back  while  that  awful  weight 
dragged  and  surged  and  took  the  dory  down 
deeper  and  deeper. 

"  Any  of  your  folks  ever  have  shocks  ?"  senten- 
tiously  asked  my  companion. 

I  ignored  the  suggestion  and  held  back  with 
desperation  and  hauled  in  vain;  inch  by  inch, 
foot  by  foot,  the  fish  took  the  line,  and  it  gradually 
dawned  upon  me  that  the  real  fisherman  was  at 
the  other  end ;  the  sockdolliger  had  indeed  "  sized 
me  up,"  and  was  playing  me.  It  jerked  my  arms 
almost  out,  took  the  skin  from  my  fingers ;  it 
pulled  me  this  way  and  that  while  ambling  along, 
now  stopping  to  hammer  me  with  sturdy  blows, 
then  putting  on  a  strain  that  nearly  lifted  me 
from  my  seat,  and  the  iron  entered  my  soul  as  I 
realized  that  I  would  have  to  ask  for  assistance. 
If  I  could  only  have  gotten  rid  of  the  fish  in 


The  Halibut  363 

some  other  way!  If  a  shark  would  only  take  it ;  if 
the  line  would  only  break,  or  the  hook  ;  but  noth- 
ing of  the  kind  happened,  the  sockdolliger  was 
evidently  enjoying  itself,  the  season  for  man-fish- 
ing had  opened  well,  and  the  anglers  among  the 
cod,  haddock,  lings,  and  halibuts  were  doubtless 
watching  the  sport  with  open-eyed  admiration  at 
the  skill  with  which  the  game  in  a  boat  was  being 
played  and  made  miserable.  The  end  was  near. 
My  "second  wind"  had  come  and  gone,  there 
was  no  hope  in  sight,  and  theoretically  I  began 
to  look  for  a  "  soft  place  to  fall."  I  believe  this 
is  the  correct  expression. 

"  How  much  did  you  say  this  fish  is  worth?" 
I  gasped,  bracing  my  feet  against  the  rail  during 
a  particularly  heavy  plunge. 

"Why,  I  calculate  a  big  fish  like  that's  worth 
twenty  dollars,"  was  the  reply. 

"  If  that's  the  case,  take  the  line,"  I  said,  to 
show  my  magnanimity. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  want  to  spoil  your  sport,"  rejoined 
the  boatman. 

"  That's  all  right,"  said  I,  airily.  "  I've  taken 
the  freshness  out  of  him."  How  I  wished  I  had ! 
How  I  despised  that  sullen  brute  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea ! 


364  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  boatman  deliberately  knocked  the  ashes 
out  of  his  pipe,  rolled  up  his  sleeves,  looked 
around  the  points  of  the  compass,  and  then  taking 
his  place  by  my  side  picked  up  the  line,  while  I 
went  forward,  took  the  oars,  and  prepared  to  enjoy 
his  agony.  At  that  precise  moment  the  boatman 
attempted  to  haul  vigorously  and  broke  the  line. 
It  was  cowardly,  but  I  could  not  resist  remarking, 
"  You  don't  seem  to  understand  these  big  fish," 
to  which  there  was  no  answer.  The  fisherman 
couldn't  do  it  justice  and  stood  silent,  merely 
looking  at  me. 

This  being  a  sockdolliger,  it  is  an  easy  matter 
to  estimate  its  weight,  which  was  between  five 
and  six  hundred  pounds ;  at  least  the  great  hali- 
but of  these  waters  (Hippoglossus  hippoglossus, 
Linn.)  is  known  to  attain  this  weight,  and  so  far 
as  mere  size  and  strength  are  concerned,  ranks 
with  the  tarpon,  tuna,  the  great  South  American 
arapaima,  and  other  huge  fishes.  It  was  very 
evident  that  could  a  medium-sized  fish  be  found 
and  hooked  in  shallow  water,  it  would  afford  no 
little  sport.  As  to  the  actual  maximum  size  of 
this  fish,  Nilsson  reports  one  from  the  Swedish 
coast  which  weighed  seven  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds ;  and  Gloucester  fishermen  have  a  record 


Tbe  Halibut  365 

of  one  taken  at  New  Ledge,  sixty  miles  southeast 
of  Portland,  Maine,  which  weighed  six  hundred 
pounds.  I  was  told  at  Boothbay,  near  which 
the  Gunner  Club,  to  which  I  was  once  "grand 
chummer,"  was  wont  to  meet,  that  a  dead  halibut 
had  been  found  which  weighed  nearly  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds,  which  was  the  record  fish 
of  New  England  waters.  One  of  the  largest 
halibuts  ever  brought  into  Gloucester  weighed 
but  three  hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  and  many 
catches  have  been  made  of  over  three  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  The  fish  of  this  weight  are 
over  seven  or  eight  feet  in  length,  and  from  three 
and  a  half  to  four  feet  in  width,  most  difficult 
creatures  to  lift  when  the  broad  back  is  presented 
to  the  fisherman  one  hundred  or  more  feet  above. 
On  the  North  Pacific  coast  this  fish  is  com- 
mon, and  is  occasionally  followed  by  Americans 
for  sport.  A  friend  who  accompanied-  some 
Alaska  fishermen  offshore  informed  me  that  it 
was  an  exciting  but  very  "  damp  pastime."  The 
hook  which  these  Indians  use  for  halibut,  one  of 
which  I  have  in  my  possession,  is  a  most  extraor- 
dinary object;  few  who  have  seen  it  understood 
its  nature,  as  it  resembles  a  wooden  god,  half 
being  the  totem  of  the  tribe,  and  the  barbless 


366  Big  Game  Fishes 

hook  being  in  the  most  impossible  and  out-of-the- 
way  position. 

If  the  capture  of  the  great  halibut  is  strenuous, 
there  is  one  of  the  group  which  has  afforded  me 
all  the  gratification  of  a  thoroughly  game  fish, 
for  which  reason  is  the  flatfish,  with  "eyes  dis- 
torted," admitted  to  this  honorable  company  of 
game  fishes.  The  islands  of  Southern  California 
lie,  as  a  rule,  parallel  to  the  mainland  coast,  long 
mountain  ranges,  —  recumbent  sea-monsters  from 
seven  to  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  —  lying  at  the 
surface  twenty  miles  offshore ;  and  as  the  prevail- 
ing wind  is  from  the  west,  they  have  a  perfect  lee 
on  the  eastern  shore,  a  region  of  calms,  while  on 
the  west  other  conditions  hold.  At  Santa  Cata- 
lina,  on  the  south  and  west  coast,  the  sea  often 
beats  wildly  against  abrupt  cliffs,  which  in 
storms  hurl  it  back  with  loud  discordant  sounds. 
Coming  down  this  coast  one  day  from  the 
black  sea-bass  fishing-grounds,  we  sighted,  well 
in  the  surf,  a  school  of  fishes  of  large  size,  toss- 
ing the  water  in  air,  striking  heavy  blows,  and 
evidently  playing  havoc  with  the  small  fry  which, 
in  rows  of  gleaming  silver,  shot  from  the  water. 
I  was  trolling  with  a  fifteen-ounce  greenheart 
rod  seven  and  a  half  feet  long,  hoping  to  pick 


The  Halibut  367 

up  a  stray  white  sea-bass ;  hence,  was  ready  for 
the  sport,  and  while  I  reeled  in,  the  boatman 
backed  into  the  surf  as  far  as  safety  permitted, 
and  held  the  boat  head  on  to  the  not  high  seas, 
shooting  ahead  when  they  threatened  to  break,  to 
drop  back  when  they  passed,  allowing  me  to  drop 
my  small  bait  directly  in  the  storm  centre  along- 
shore. On  the  instant  came  the  strike,  and  as 
the  light  boat  went  careening  over  a  breaking 
sea,  I  hooked  the  fish  and  presently  was  playing 
it  from  a  fairly  smooth  vantage  ground.  My 
boatman  suggested  large  rock-bass,  but  I  was 
positive  I  had  seen  a  flat  tail  waved  in  the  air, 
and  my  inference  was  correct  as  a  halibut  came 
fluttering  along  the  surface  with  a  curious  undu- 
lating movement  for  a  moment,  as  though  led 
by  a  line;  then  realizing  that  it  was  hooked,  it 
plunged  down  and  ran  away  with  my  line  while 
the  reel  made  wild  music,  ran  away  so  effectually 
that  I  thought  it  would  be  exhausted,  dashing  by 
the  kelp  bed,  disdaining  this  refuge  which  the 
black  sea-bass  always  affects,  and  swimming  for 
open  water  to  make  a  splendid  play,  surging  on 
the  line  that  hissed  like  a  knife  as  it  cut  the 
surface  —  now  deep  in  the  heart  of  the  waters, 
rising  with  a  singular  bounding  motion  to  encircle 


368  Big  Game  Fisbes 

the  boat,  and  as  suddenly  plunge  down  to  sulk 
in  angry  protest  and  apparently  present  its  broad 
surface  against  the  rod,  making  the  turning  of 
the  reel  almost  an  impossibility. 

Slowly  the  boatman  rowed  out  of  the  surf,  and 
if  this  fish  could  have  been  played  in  water  as 
shallow  as  that  familiar  to  the  salmon  angler, 
where  its  rushes  would  have  been  off  instead  of 
down,  it  would  have  commended  itself  to  the 
ardent  lover  of  purely  game  fishes.  For  fifteen 
minutes  it  fought  me,  and  until  I  brought  it 
within  eyesight,  my  boatman  insisted  that  it  was  a 
yellowtail  —  one  of  the  most  powerful  and  hard- 
est fighting  of  all  fishes ;  but  it  was  a  halibut,  one 
of  the  despised  flounder  tribe  which  appeal  to 
the  digestion  but  not  to  an  appetite  whetted  for 
sport.  This  gamy  creature  redoubled  its  fighting 
as  it  saw  the  boat,  repeatedly  broke  away,  and 
when  gaffed  was  making  a  flying  rush  around  the 
boat  after  various  attempts  to  hold  it ;  and  when 
finally  held,  its  white  belly  blazing  in  the  sun- 
light, beat  the  water  with  powerful  blows,  and 
literally  hurled  watery  defiance  in  our  faces. 
When  the  boatman  held  the  fish  up,  that  I  might 
observe  its  fine  proportions,  it  was  evident  that  it 
was  built  for  such  work  and  was  an  animated 


The  Halibut  369 

resistant.  The  fish,  which  was  the  bastard  hali- 
but, Paralichthys  californicus,  weighed  between 
fifty  and  sixty  pounds,  was  three  and  a  half  feet  in 
length,  a  fine  specimen  of  this  genus  common 
about  the  islands,  though  rarely  caught  of  this 
size,  possibly  because  bottom-fishing  is  seldom 
indulged  in  here  except  by  professional  fisher- 
men on  the  so-called  grouper  banks.  At  Cata- 
lina  Harbor,  a  California  fjord,  Empire  Landing, 
and  a  few  localities  on  the  west  coast,  it  can 
always  be  found.  At  San  Clemente,  twenty 
miles  to  the  southwest,  it  is  also  common,  and  it 
is  also  taken  at  Coronado,  in  the  bay,  at  La 
Jolla,  San  Juan,  Monterey,  in  fact  anywhere 
alongshore  where  shallow  and  protected  water  is 
found.  The  young  fishes,  when  lying  on  the 
sandy  bottom,  so  simulate  it  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  distinguish  them.  I  have  taken 
them  from  the  beach  with  an  eight-ounce  split 
bamboo,  and  found  the  sport  enjoyable. 

Of  all  fishes  this  group  is  perhaps  the  quaint- 
est. When  young  they  swim  upright,  as  do 
others,  but  as  they  grow  they  fall  over  and  lie 
flat,  the  lower  side  turning  white  as  the  pigment 
is  found  unnecessary,  and  then  comes  a  change 
which,  in  its  seeming  impossibility,  equals  the 


2B 


370  Big  Game  Fishes 

most  improbable  fish  story.  The  under  eye  be- 
gins to  move,  literally  starts  upon  its  travels,  dif- 
fering some  in  the  various  species  in  route  and 
method  of  procedure,  but  moving,  nevertheless, 
passing  around  in  some,  directly  through  the 
head  in  others,  until  in  the  adult  fish  we  find  both 
eyes  on  top,  having  travelled  around  from  the  left 
to  the  right  side.  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Alex- 
ander Agassiz  for  a  drawing  showing  the  various 
stages  of  this  remarkable  journey  of  an  eye. 
Nearly  all  these  fishes  commend  themselves  to  the 
epicure,  —  the  English  sole,  California  sand  dab, 
the  New  England  turbot,  the  summer  flounder, 
and  many  more  being  extremely  valuable.  The 
halibut  of  the  Northwest  coast  has  a  pronounced 
economic  value,  and  the  "  Halibut  Express  "  from 
Vancouver  to  Boston  is  suggestive  that  the 
eastern  coast  cannot  supply  the  demand. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE   LEAPING   SHARKS 

"  Toward  the  sea  turning  my  troubled  eye 
I  saw  the  fish  (if  fish  I  may  it  cleepe) 
That  makes  the  sea  before  his  face  to  flye." 

—  SPENSER. 

IT  requires  more  than  ordinary  temerity  with 
an  audience  of  anglers,  to  admit,  even  by  infer- 
ence, the  shark  to  the  select  and  honorable  com- 
pany of  game  fishes.  I  do  not  propose  to  commit 
this  possible  solecism,  but  merely  to  describe  the 
play  and  action  under  restraint,  of  several  sharks 
which  I  have  caught,  and  others  which  I  have 
seen  caught,  and  leave  the  question,  game  or 
vermin  ?  to  the  reader. 

It  has  so  happened  that  I  have  passed  many 
seasons,  winter  and  summer,  in  what  might  be 
termed  "shark  countries,"  that  is,  localities 
where  the  shark  was  always  a  factor  to  be  consid- 
ered. If  a  tarpon  was  played  long  enough  to 
permit  its  blood  to  tint  the  water  and  reach  away, 

371 


372  Big  Game  Fishes 

a  shark,  like  a  hound,  would  follow  it  up  and  rise 
from  the  sea,  shaking  the  fish  in  one's  very  face. 
I  have  had  them  on  the  extreme  outer  Florida 
reef,  about  my  boat  by  the  dozen,  chasing  the 
large  barracuda  that  I  had  been  playing,  snatch- 
ing it  from  the  line,  leaving  me  the  head,  perhaps, 
as  a  reminder  that  they  were  not  altogether 
graceless.  So  plentiful  were  they,  that  I  often 
fished  for  them  single-handed,  or  with  a  compan- 
ion, in  a  small  boat ;  under  such  conditions  a  ten 
or  twelve  foot  shark  has  the  advantage,  and  on 
the  Florida  reef  I  frequently  cut  away,  rather 
than  be  towed  out  to  sea  by  some  unseen 
monster. 

Shark-fishing  is  a  legitimate  sport  if  the  par- 
ticipator will  approach  the  game  fairly,  and  some 
of  the  most  exciting  days  of  my  life  have  been 
passed  on  the  Florida  Keys  or  at  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Johns  River  in  the  shad  season,  where, 
alone,  I  endeavored  to  master  large  sharks ;  and  I 
can  commend  the  exercise  to  the  man  of  seden- 
tary pursuits. 

There  are  two  sharks  which,  in  their  play  when 
hooked,  are  remarkable  imitations  of  certain  game 
fishes  which  deserve  the  attention  of  anglers. 
One  of  these  is  very  common  at  Aransas  Pass, 


Tbe  Leaping  Sharks  373 

Texas,  and  I  have  taken  a  similar  shark  from  the 
beach  of  Loggerhead  Key  on  the  extreme  outer 
reef.  In  the  summer  of  1902  I  was  fishing  for 
tarpon  at  Aransas,  and  one  day  after  making 
several  catches  I  had  my  boatman  row  me  to  the 
vicinity  of  some  fellow-anglers,  hoping  to  photo- 
graph a  tarpon  in  mid-air,  —  a  feat  that  has  been 
accomplished  by  Dr.  Howe  of  Mexico,  who  at 
Tampico,  the  centre  of  the  winter  tarpon-fishing, 
succeeded  in  inventing  a  gun  camera  which  ac- 
complishes this  work.  While  watching  the  leaps 
of  the  fishes,  and  snapping  a  kodak  at  them,  gen- 
erally taking  the  sky,  the  sun,  and  nothing  else,  I 
observed  a  fine  leap  accompanied  by  a  most 
energetic  thrashing  in  the  air.  The  fish  left  the 
water  bodily,  and  when  three  feet  above  the  sur- 
face seemed  to  lash  itself  into  a  perfect  curve 
before  it  descended,  hardly  touching  the  water 
before  it  went  into  the  air  again.  I  assumed  it 
to  be  a  very  gamy  tarpon,  perhaps  what  was 
known  here  as  "Yucatan  Bill,"  a  wily,  long, 
slender  tarpon,  a  "  Yucatan  bounder "  that  was 
supposed  to  return  to  this  locality  every  summer 
for  the  purpose  of  amusing  itself  with  certain 
innocent  anglers.  The  "  bounder "  had  broken 
lines  and  rods,  shattered  chairs,  broken  oars, 


374  Big  Game  Fishes 

towed  boats  down  into  the  breakers  opposite  the 
jetty,  and  literally  played  havoc  with  the  fishing 
fraternity,  and  as  yet  was  uncaught. 

I  had  been  regaled  with  descriptions  of  this 
fish  by  the  veracious  wags  of  Tarpon  Inn,  who 
pictured  him  with  scales  as  large  as  a  dinner 
plate,  a  mouth  full  of  big  hooks,  and  wire  which 
hung  like  a  beard,  and  naturally  thought  it  not 
improbable  that  my  companion  was  being  initi- 
ated by  "Yucatan  Bill";  hence  I  watched  the 
play  with  much  attention.  Never  did  tarpon 
leap  with  more  force  or  with  greater  zest  than  did 
this  fish.  Up  into  the  air  it  went,  whirling 
about,  now  landing  on  its  head,  now  coming 
down  broadside  on,  making  a  wave  of  foam,  then 
stopping  to  rush  to  one  side  and  encircle  the 
boat ;  always  fighting,  bearing  off  with  a  force 
that  kept  the  stiff  rod  of  the  angler  bent  and  the 
reel  screaming.  For  twenty  minutes  at  least  I 
watched  the  play,  and  then,  to  my  amazement, 
saw  the  successful  angler  cut  away  the  game, 
and  later  heard  his  shout  that  it  was  a  "  leaping 
shark." 

I  had  been  keeping  out  of  the  way  that  I  might 
not  interfere  with  the  play  of  the  game,  hence  had 
not  recognized  the  outline  of  the  fish.  The  ha- 


Tbe  Leaping  Sharks  375 

bitues  of  Aransas  considered  this  shark  essentially 
game.  It  was  included  among  the  "  game  fishes  " 
caught  by  the  members  of  the  Tarpon  Club,  and 
certainly  deserves  the  honor  and  the  appellation  if 
one  can  throw  off  the  inherent  dislike  to  sharks 
which  holds  with  nearly  all  anglers.  A  similar 
leaping  shark  was  not  uncommon  at  Garden  Key. 
I  have  had  them  leap  out  of  the  water,  the  entire 
body  except  the  tail  being  clear,  the  subsequent 
rushes  challenging  admiration.  In  a  word,  the 
shark  was  gamy  and  a  hard  fighter ;  but  when  it 
came  up  snapping  and  biting  at  oars  and  gaff, 
and  its  disagreeable  half-musky  odor  pervaded 
the  air,  only  a  shark  after  all,  one's  enthusiasm 
paled.  At  Catalina  Harbor,  on  the  island  of  that 
name,  at  its  very  head  where  the  water  is  not  over 
three  or  four  feet  in  depth,  is  the  breeding-ground 
of  a  small  and  attractive  tiger  shark,  known  to 
science  as  Galeorhinus.  In  July  and  August 
they  are  found  here  in  such  numbers  that  the 
water  within  a  few  feet  of  the  shore  appears  to 
be  fairly  bristling  with  large  dorsal  fins.  It 
chanced  that  I  strolled  up  the  beach  one  day 
with  a  light  rod  and  hired  an  old  fisherman  to 
take  my  heavy  bait  out  into  the  bay  that  I 
might  hurl  back  the  banter  of  a  companion  who 


376  Big  Game  Fishes 

doubted  my  ability  to  land  one  of  the  sharks  with 
my  light  rod  and  number  twelve  line.  In  a  short 
time  I  had  a  strike,  and  upon  hooking  the  game, 
up  into  the  air  it  went,  clear  of  the  water,  a 
mauve-colored  creature  beautifully  striped  and 
gracefully  formed,  to  fall  with  a  crash  and  dash 
up  the  beach  at  a  speed  that  rapidly  exhausted 
my  line  and  forced  me  to  run  along  the  sands 
some  distance  before  I  succeeded  in  turning  and 
stopping  the  shark,  which  had  reached  fairly 
deep  water,  arid  was  making  a  most  creditable 
fight,  bearing  off  heavily,  darting  from  side  to 
side,  and  now  and  then  rising  into  the  air  and 
shaking  itself  bravely.  Had  it  not  been  a  shark, 
the  miserable  scavenger  of  the  sea,  the  cousin  of 
the  tarpon  killer,  it  might  have  been  considered  a 
very  gamy  fish,  as  for  fifteen  minutes  it  defied  my 
efforts  to  bring  it  to  gaff,  coming  in  then  reluc- 
tantly, being  gaffed  in  an  extremely  gallant  manner 
by  a  fair  angler  of  the  party.  This  shark  meas- 
ured nearly  five  feet  in  length,  and  weighed  sixty 
pounds.  The  leaping  habit  is  common  to  the 
species,  at  least  in  this  locality. 

The  sharks  which  have  been  taken  in  various 
localities  with  the  rod  and  very  light  lines  often 
surprise  the  layman  by  their  size,  girth,  and  fight- 


Tbe  Leaping  Sharks  377 

ing  qualities.  Along  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns 
and  from  the  beaches  of  the  Florida  Keys  I  have 
enjoyed  many  a  bout  with  these  doughty  ruffians 
of  the  deep.  I  once  hooked  a  large  tiger  shark, 
picking  it  out  from  a  school  which  I  had  baited 
around  the  boat,  and  as  it  started  off  towing  the 
boat,  numbers  of  these  ugly  creatures  followed  me, 
some  on  one  side  of  the  bow,  some  on  the  other, 
and  others  just  below  and  not  five  feet  from  the 
surface — a  menacing  contingent.  Out  of  scores 
of  sharks  of  different  kinds  which  I  have  taken  in 
the  Atlantic,  the  Mexican  Gulf,  and  the  Pacific 
I  would  award  the  palm  for  hard  fighting  and 
strength  in  proportion  to  its  size  to  the  hammer- 
head, two  of  which  I  once  saw  off  Capes  Charles 
and  Henry  in  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake, 
which  were  not  less  than  fifteen  feet  in  length. 
I  have  hooked  them  in  the  Pacific  and  played 
them  with  the  rod,  but  have  never  landed  a  large 
one  in  this  way.  Other  anglers  have  played  them 
longer  and  seemed  on  the  very  verge  of  victory, 
but  so  far  as  I  am  aware  no  one  has  conquered  a 
large  hammerhead  with  a  rod.  To  illustrate  the 
courage  and  pugnacity  and  thorough  fighting 
qualities  of  this  shark,  which  is  a  foeman  well 
deserving  the  attention  of  him  who  delights  in 


378  Big  Game  Fishes 

hard  and  closely  contested  hand-to-hand  strug- 
gles, I  may  describe  a  certain  catch  made  by  me 
off  Catalina  Island.  I  was  fishing  for  whitefish 
with  a  light  rod  when  something  took  the  bait 
and  cleverly  cut  the  wire  leader ;  the  next  mo- 
ment the  enormous  fin  of  a  shark  appeared  along- 
side the  small  boat  and  began  to  circle  around  it, 
so  near  that  I  could  have  touched  it.  My  com- 
panion was  demoralized,  and  demanded  to  be 
landed  upon  the  rocks  hard  by.  This  accom- 
plished, I  returned  and  the  shark  took  three  baited 
hooks  as  fast  as  I  could  renew  the  bait  and  cast 
them ;  when  I  hooked  it,  it  merely  turned  its 
head,  cutting  the  hook  or  wire.  It  was  apparently 
between  nine  and  ten  feet  in  length,  and  I  could 
plainly  see  the  extraordinary  hammerlike  head 
with  the  eyes  upon  the  ends,  hypnotic  and  ugly. 
Near  me  was  a  boat  in  which  were  two  Germans 
fishing,  and  as  they  landed  a  fish  they  hung  it 
upon  a  string  overboard.  This  now  attracted  the 
shark.  I  called  to  them  and  they  jerked  the 
string  of  fish  into  the  boat,  not  a  moment  too 
soon  to  save  it.  The  disappointed  and  hungry 
fish  darted  about  the  boat,  striking  it  with  its  big 
dorsal  fin,  so  terrifying  the  men,  who  doubtless 
had  never  before  seen  a  shark,  that  they  lay  down 


The  Leaping  Sharks  379 

in  the  bottom  of  the  boat;  presently  I  saw  the 
barrel  of  a  rifle,  and  one  of  the  men  began  pump- 
ing bullets  at  the  big.  creature,  some  of  which 
must  have  taken  effect,  as  it  swam  off,  but  still  on 
the  surface,  its  dorsal  fin  looking  like  a  miniature 
lateen  sail. 

I  determined,  if  possible,  to  catch  the  shark,  and 
followed  it  into  the  bay  of  Avalon,  and  while  I 
hurried  inshore  to  get  a  shark  line  it  dashed  into 
a  fleet  of  small  boats  and  endeavored  to  steal  the 
fish.  When  I  again  reached  my  boat,  which 
was  a  two-hundred-pound,  flat-bottomed  skiff,  I 
found  that  the  hammerhead  was  still  swimming 
about,  defying  the  entire  floating  community. 
The  boats  were  following  it,  men  shooting  at  it 
with  revolvers,  or  striking  at  it  with  oars  and 
boat-hooks ;  but  I  could  not  see  that  it  paid  any 
attention  to  these  attacks  except  now  to  continue 
around  the  shore  and  so  out  of  the  bay  on  the 
opposite  side.  I  had  secured  a  long  cod  line 
with  a  jewfish  hook,  which  I  had  baited  with  a 
ten-pound  fish,  coiling  the  line  astern.  A  fresh 
companion  rowed  me  directly  out  of  the  bay  in 
order,  if  possible,  to  intercept  the  animal,  and  in 
ten  minutes  we  were  in  its  path.  As  it  came  on, 
I  swung  the  bait  at  it.  There  was  a  swirl  of 


380  Big  Game  Fishes 

waters,  the  line  tautened,  and  allowing  a  few  sec- 
onds to  pass,  and  as  many  feet  of  line  to  glide 
over,  I  jerked  the  hook  into  the  shark.  With  all 
my  care  I  was  hauled  to  my  knees,  losing  the 
line  which  rose  from  the  carefully  laid  coil  like  a 
living  thing.  We  were  in  water  two  hundred 
feet  deep,  and  before  I  realized  it  the  line  was  ex- 
hausted, and  no  flat-bottomed,  broad-sterned  skiff 
ever  came  so  near  being  literally  dragged  bodily 
under  water  as  did  this.  My  boatman  was  utterly 
demoralized,  and  more  than  once  I  pressed  the 
open  knife  which  I  had  ready,  upon  the  line,  as 
the  boat  sank  to  the  danger  line. 

All  this  time  the  boat  was  moving  directly  out 
into  the  channel,  carrying  a  big  wave  beneath 
her,  the  shark  having  sounded  like  a  whale,  the 
line  being  so  stiff  and  taut  that  I  could  not  move 
it.  My  companion  now  shipped  the  oars  and 
held  them,  trying  to  row ;  but  this  had  no  effect, 
and  the  shark  towed  us  a  mile  at  the  top  of  its 
speed  before  I  made  any  impression  on  the  line, 
and  then  it  became  evident  that  we  should  have 
to  cut  line  or  gain  on  the  fish ;  so  I  manned  the 
line  and  hauled,  leading  the  line  forward  between 
my  feet,  my  companion  coiling  it  as  I  hauled, 
the  boat  being  so  light  and  unstable  that  but  one 


The  Leaping  Sharks  381 

could  work.  It  was  most  difficult  and  laborious 
work,  —  I  will  not  call  it  sport,  —  though  in  its 
excitement  and  danger  there  was  enjoyment  of  a 
certain  kind,  and  time  and  again  the  lusty  shark 
tore  the  line  from  my  hands  and  threatened  to 
sink  us ;  but  after  half  an  hour  I  had  it  in  hand. 
When  it  lunged  I  lay  back  and  held  on  with  my 
knife  between  my  teeth,  and  presently  found 
that  I  could  hold  it;  hence  the  strength  of  the 
shark  was  on  the  wane,  whereupon  I  played  it 
with  renewed  courage,  hauling  it  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  holding  hard  when  it  rushed ;  in  this 
way  I  soon  brought  the  shark  so  near  the  surface 
that  in  glancing  over  the  stern  I  could  see  it 
circling  below.  Looking  back  at  the  distant  bay 
I  saw  that  we  were  followed  by  a  number  of 
boats,  yet  we  were  still  being  towed  at  such  a 
pace  that  the  men  had  to  pull  at  full  speed  to 
catch  up  to  us,  and  by  the  time  the  first  boat 
came  up  and  threw  us  a  line  I  had  the  shark 
within  ten  feet  and  saw  that  I  could  hold  it ;  but 
it  was  evident  that  two  skiffs  were  not  a  match 
for  this  doughty  game,  and  it  was  not  until  five 
boats  were  in  line,  and  ten  oars  pulling  against  it, 
that  the  victorious  flotilla  began  to  move  inshore. 
The  shark's  head  was  now  partly  out  of  water, 


382  Big  Game  Fishes 

and  I  was  holding  it  by  the  hammerlike  projec- 
tions while  it  writhed  and  lunged.  In  this  man- 
ner this  hard-fighting,  gamy  shark  was  towed  in, 
its  courtiers,  the  black  remoras,  clinging  to  it 
even  when  twenty  men  seized  the  line  and  drew 
the  struggling  animal  upon  the  sands,  a  type  of 
the  utterly  fearless  brute  of  the  sea — an  animal 
that  defied  scores  of  men,  swimming  among  their 
boats,  paying  no  attention  to  bullet  or  club,  sail- 
ing about  with  complete  indifference,  only  going 
down  before  superior  numbers. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

THE  CHINOOK   OF  MONTEREY 

"  Here,  when  the  labouring  fish  at  the  foot  arrive, 
And  knows  that  by  his  strength  but  vainly  doth  he  strive, 
His  tail  takes  in  his  teeth ;  and  bending  like  a  bow l 
That's  to  the  compass  drawn,  aloft  himself  doth  throw ; 
Then  springing  with  his  tail,  as  doth  a  little  wand 
That  bended,  end  to  end,  and  flirted  from  the  hand, 
Far  off  itself  doth  cast ;  so  doth  the  salmon  vaut 
And  if  at  first  he  fail,  his  second  somersaut 
He  instantly  assays,  and  from  his  nimble  ring 
Still  yesting,  never  leaves  until  himself  he  fling 
Above  the  streamful  top  of  the  surrounding  heap." 

THERE  are  many  reasons  why  the  sea-angler  is 
a  very  lucky  personage.  One  is,  that  often,  when 
fishing,  he  has  the  charms  and  delights  of  both 
sea  and  forest,  and  nowhere  is  this  better  exem- 
plified than  at  Monterey,  the  old  California  town 
so  rich  in  historic  associations.  Here,  or  in  the 
adjacent  waters,  is  the  true  home  of  the  chinook 

1  This  explanation  of  the  leap  of  the  salmon  was  entertained  by 
some  writers  within  the  last  fifty  years. 

383 


384  Big  Game  Fishes 

salmon,  the  gallant  high  jumper,  the  ultima  thule 
of  the  angler's  dreams  and  hopes,  the  Oncorhyn- 
chus  tschawytscha  of  science.  No  more  attractive 
country  can  be  imagined  than  that  contiguous 
to  the  waters  of  the  bay  of  Monterey  where  it 
reaches  north  to  Santa  Cruz  and  south  to  the 
bay  of  Carmel,  of  happy  days,  with  its  old  mis- 
sion, its  trout  streams,  and  charming  coast  line, 
a  natural  park,  to  linger  long  in  the  memory.  It 
appeals  to  the  angler  in  many  ways,  and  one  can 
readily  understand  why  the  old  Spaniards  selected 
this  spot  as  their  stronghold  in  the  north. 

It  is  generally  believed  on  the  Pacific  coast  that, 
as  a  rule,  the  salmon  will  not  rise  to  a  fly,  and  it 
has  passed  into  angling  history  that  we  owe  our 
possession  of  Alaska  to  this  fact;  for  did  not  a 
certain  British  admiral  of  sporting  proclivities  say 
when  the  question  was  being  discussed  by  the 
nations  of  the  world,  "  Oh,  let  the  Yankees  have 
it,  the  salmon  won't  take  a  fly ! "  And  did  not 
the  English  press  immediately  drop  the  show  of 
opposition  to  the  purchase  which  it  had  made? 
If  angling  history  is  to  be  believed,  it  did.  Dr. 
Jordan  states :  "  The  chinook  salmon  does  not  take 
the  hook  [probably  meaning  fly]  when  in  fresh 
water,  though  it  is  occasionally  taken  on  the 


The  Chinook  of  Monterey  385 

trolling  spoon  ; "  and  the  dean  of  this  particular 
sport  on  the  Pacific  coast,  Mr.  J.  Parker  Whit- 
ney, writes :  "  None  of  the  Pacific  coast  salmon 
take  the  fly.  There  may  be  isolated  cases,  but 
few  and  far  between."  One  of  these  cases  fell 
to  the  luck  of  Rudyard  Kipling,  who  acquired 
merit  in  the  eyes  of  all  lovers  of  angling  in 
an  article  to  the  Pittsburgh  Dispatch,  writing 
delightfully  on  his  experiences :  "  The  next  cast, 
ah,  the  pride  of  it,  the  regal  splendor  of  it,  the 
thrill  that  ran  down  from  finger-tip  to  toe. 
Then  the  water  boiled.  He  broke  for  the  fly 
and  got  it."  Not  alone  with  fly,  but  with 
spoon,  did  the  genial  poet  conjure  the  gamy 
chinooks.  Listen :  "  How  shall  I  tell  the  glories 
of  that  day  ?  Again  and  again  did  California  and 
I  prance  down  that  reach  to  the  little  bay,  each 
with  a  salmon  in  tow,  and  land  him  in  the  shal- 
lows. Then  Portland  took  my  rod  and  caught 
some  ten-pounders,  and  my  spoon  was  carried 
away  by  an  unknown  leviathan."  Ah,  that  you 
and  I  could  have  been  on  the  Clackamas  when 
"  Portland  held  the  gaff  and  the  whiskey,"  and 
Kipling  held  the  rod.  Happy  "  Portland  " !  lucky 
Kipling!  what  tales  he  must  have  told  at  night 
to  "  California,"  of  the  mighty  Mahseer  and  the 

2C 


386  Big  Game  Fishes 

heathen  but  gamy  Rohu ;  ah,  the  very  thought  of 
it !  May  good  luck  always  avert  calamity  when 
he  is  fishing,  be  it  on  the  Clackamas,  Indus,  or 
Irrawaddy. 

Despite  this  unbending  of  the  chinook  to  Kip- 
ling on  the  Clackamas,  the  sport  with  the  fly  on 
the  Pacific  slope  is  so  uncertain  that  few  anglers 
attempt  it,  and  the  principal  salmon-fishing  is  in 
the  waters  of  Santa  Cruz,  Monterey,  and  Carmel 
bays,  where  the  splendid  fish  is  certainly  at  home 
and  affords  sport  of  an  exalted  kind.  Who  landed 
the  first  salmon  here  is  unknown  to  fame ;  but  the 
angler  who  has  made  the  sport  the  closest  study 
is  Mr.  J.  Parker  Whitney  of  New  York,  who  well 
deserves  the  following  encomium  from  some 
appreciative  brother  angler,  which  I  find  in  the 
Forest  and  Stream  of  Sept.  2,  1893:  "Salmon 
fishermen  the  world  over  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude 
to  Mr.  J.  Parker  Whitney  for  his  extremely  inter- 
esting accounts  of  sea-fishing  for  salmon  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  Though  that  fishing  has  been 
known  for  years  to  a  limited  number  of  anglers, 
Mr.  Whitney,  as  the  first  one  to  exploit  the  sport 
in  an  adequate  description  for  the  benefit  of 
the  guild,  may  fairly  lay  claim  to  its  discovery. 
Others  may  have  known  of  it  as  the  Norsemen 


Tbe  Cbinook  of  Monterey  387 

knew  of  America;  Mr.  Whitney  has  been  the 
Columbus  to  proclaim  the  discovery  to  the  world, 
and  to  command  for  it  the  attention  it  deserves." 
As  salmon-fishing  the  world  over  is  in  streams, 
from  the  beautiful  pools  of  Canada  and  Maine  to 
those  of  Scotland,  the  fish  has  come  to  be  known 
as  a  fresh-water  denizen.  It  is  rarely  thought  of 
as  an  inhabitant  of  the  ocean,  yet  the  cool  water 
of  the  Kuroshiwo,  which  sweeps  down  the  north- 
west coast,  is  doubtless  its  home,  and  it  goes  up  the 
streams  but  to  deposit  its  eggs  and  die.  Salmon- 
fishing  par  excellence,  with  the  fly,  as  well  as  the 
habits  of  the  fish,  is  fully  described  in  another 
volume  of  this  series,  hence  I  shall  merely  refer 
to  the  sport  as  it  is  found  in  salt  water.  The 
salmon  live  somewhere  offshore  all  winter,  —  ex- 
actly where,  is  not  known ;  but  it  is  the  belief  of 
anglers  that  they  do  not  stray  to  any  great  dis- 
tance from  the  shore,  probably  haunting  some 
bank  where  the  herring  and  anchovies  roam  in 
winter.  In  spring  they  move  north,  or  in,  and 
by  the  last  of  May, —  sometimes  sooner,  sometimes 
later,  and  generally  about  June  i5th,  —  they  enter 
the  bays  of  Santa  Cruz,  Monterey,  and  Carmel, 
chasing  in  the  great  schools  of  herring,  squid,  and 
anchovies.  For  weeks  the  professional  fishermen 


388  Big  Game  Fishes 

have  been  on  the  lookout  for  them,  and  when  the 
assurance  is  given,  telegrams  to  San  Francisco, 
New  York,  and  other  places  are  sent,  and  anglers, 
devotees  to  this  sport,  are  soon  speeding  to  the 
various  points,  and  the  season  begins. 

The  professional  fishermen  have  no  sentiment, 
and  it  seems  a  carnal  sin  to  see  hundreds  of  the 
finest  fish  jerked  in  with  literal  ropes  and  beaten 
about  the  head  with  sinkers  weighing  a  pound  or 
more.  They  troll  for  them  with  heavy  lines  down 
thirty  or  forty  feet,  where  the  gamy  fish  bite  eagerly 
at  smelt  or  herring;  and  the  men  in  the  course  of 
the  season  reap  a  rich  harvest.  The  sportsman 
will  have  none  of  this;  he  approaches  the  game 
with  all  the  deference  worthy  the  king  of  game 
fishes.  The  angler  who  would  take  the  salmon 
in  its  home  must  discard  all  the  preconceived 
ideas  he  may  have  had  from  experience  or  reading 
regarding  salmon  in  the  rivers  of  the  East,  as  it 
is  another  matter  here  and  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  another  fish ;  and  the  non-multiplying 
salmon  reel,  the  delicate  line,  and  long,  beauti- 
fully bending  rod  are  worse  than  useless,  though 
it  would  be  an  interesting  experiment  to  try  this 
tackle  on  the  fish  in  its  haunts  in  the  open  sea. 
The  tackle  I  would  suggest  is  a  rod  of  split  bam- 


The  Chinook  of  Monterey  389 

boo  almost  identical  with  that  used  for  yellow- 
tail,  or  a  good  noib-wood  rod  and  long  tip  not  to 
weigh  over  twenty-six  ounces  and  between  seven 
and  eight  and  a  half  feet  long,  a  number  twelve 
or  eighteen  cuttyhunk  line,  with  a  7/0  O'Shaugh- 
nessy  hook  and  short  wire  leader  with  two  swivels, 
baited  with  a  three  or  four  inch  sardine  or  smelt. 
The  angler  trolls  slowly,  with  bait  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  down,  or  at  times  he  may  try  the  surface  with 
good  luck ;  but  a  sinker,  as  a  rule,  is  an  essential. 
Mr.  Hermann  Oelrichs,  a  well-known  expert  in 
this  sport,  who  has  landed  four  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  of  salmon  in  one  fair  morning  off  Mon- 
terey, representing  thirteen  fish,  uses  a  seven-foot 
rod  with  ample  reel.  Mr.  J.  Parker  Whitney, 
according  to  the  Sunset  Magazine,  fishes  with  a 
steel  Bristol  trolling  rod  seven  and  a  half  feet  in 
length,  weighing  but  eleven  ounces.  His  line  is 
a  linen  sea-bass,  number  eighteen,  with  a  large 
multiplying  reel  holding  five  hundred  feet.  His 
hook  is  a  large  Kirby  soldered  to  a  brass  wire 
with  a  linked  wire  leader  about  a  foot  in  length, 
all  connected  by  swivels.  The  sinker  weighs  four 
ounces.  With  this  outfit,  with  smelt  bait,  fishing 
thirty  feet  down,  Mr.  Whitney  has  had  phenome- 
nal luck,  averaging  eight  salmon  a  day ;  the  weight 


390  Big  Game  Fishes 

of  his  first  sixty-nine  fish,  according  to  the  author- 
ity quoted,  being  eleven  hundred  and  thirty-three 
pounds,  or  an  average  of  sixteen  pounds  each. 
The  smallest  fish  weighed  two  pounds,  the  largest 
fifty-four;  and  that  Mr.  Whitney's  methods  are 
eminently  successful  it  need  only  be  said  that  his 
catch  to  date  numbers  four  hundred  salmon. 
Such  are  typical  outfits  by  well-known  anglers 
who  have  fished  these  waters  for  years,  and  many 
others  may  be  seen  on  the  grounds ;  all  of  which 
points  to  the  moral  that  the  typical  fly-casting 
salmon  rod  is  out  of  place. 

Thus  equipped,  we  may  steal  out  of  Monterey 
some  morning  before  daylight,  tool  down  the 
seventeen-mile  drive  to  the  melody  of  the  surf  as 
it  piles  in  upon  the  rocks,  finally  reaching  Carmel 
Bay  before  sunrise,  or  just  as  the  sun  is  coming  up 
over  the  distant  Sierras,  a  ball  of  crimson.  We 
have  made  arrangements  for  a  boat,  and  the  boat- 
man is  waiting;  and  in  a  few  moments  we  are 
drifting  over  as  fair  a  sheet  of  water  as  I  have 
seen,  one  that  with  the  charming  surroundings 
must  appeal  to  the  most  phlegmatic  nature.  The 
open  bay  is  like  a  lake,  save  where  some  affrighted 
anchovies  are  rushing,  or  some  vagrant  finny  sun- 
worshipper  rises  in  air  to  greet  its  mistress.  A 


The  Chinook  of  Monterey  391 

shining  sardine  is  fastened  on  the  hook ;  the  line 
twenty  feet  from  the  hook  is  looped  for  a  few 
inches  and  held  in  place  by  a  thread  upon  which  is 
hung  a  pipe  sinker,  —  that  is,  a  sinker  two  or  three 
inches  long,  slender  and  perforated ;  the  loop  and 
thread  should  be  very  little  longer  than  the  sinker. 
The  philosophy  of  this  is  apparent  when  the 
strike  comes,  as  the  full  force  will  come  upon  the 
thread,  which,  when  it  breaks,  liberates  the  sinker, 
giving  the  angler  the  fish  alone  to  play  without 
the  leaden  annoyance.  Mr.  Whitney  has  made 
an  improvement  on  this  device,  often  used  in  sea- 
angling,  which  is  as  follows,  and  which  I  take  the 
liberty  of  copying  from  his  valuable  article  in 
the  Sunset  Magazine:  — 

"  I  have  lately  adopted  a  better  method  of  at- 
taching and  liberating  the  sinker,  by  having  the 
four-ounce  lead  round  in  tapering  form  with  a 
small  ring  soldered  in  one  end;  up  the  line  six 
feet  from  the  hook  and  part  of  it  I  tie  in  two 
swivels  nine  inches  apart  I  then  tie  a  short 
piece  of  weak  cotton  twine  to  the  bottom  ring  of 
the  upper  swivel  and  to  the  upper  ring  of  the 
swivel  below,  having  threaded  the  cotton  twine 
through  the  ring  of  the  sinker ;  shorten  the  cotton 
twine  to  four  inches  in  length  between  the  two 


392  Big  Game  Fishes 

swivels,  which  loops  up  four  or  five  inches  of  the 
regular  linen  line.  The  salmon,  striking  and 
holding  the  baited  hook  and  giving  the  conse- 
quent strong  pull,  breaks  the  cotton  line,  and  the 
sinker,  liberated  and  of  light  value,  drops  away 
in  the  sea,  leaving  the  salmon  free  and  unimpeded 
for  his  vigorous  and  gallant  fight,  except  for  the 
fine  line  and  rod  strain." 

As  in  white  sea-bass  fishing,  the  game  is  often 
discovered  by  the  birds,  shags  and  others,  which 
are  plunging  down  and  swimming  through  schools 
of  anchovies,  playing  havoc  with  the  small  fry,  be- 
neath which  the  hungry  salmon  often  lie  like  these 
bass,  picking  off  the  stragglers,  or  at  times  chasing 
and  driving  them  in  upon  the  rocks  or  into  the 
surf.  On  this  day  the  fish  bite  well,  and  the 
angler's  patience  is  not  exhausted.  The  strike 
comes,  and  if  you  are  an  old  salmon  fisherman 
from  the  Restigouche  country  or  elsewhere,  this 
doughty  chinook  will  treat  you  to  some  remark- 
able surprises  and  possibly  to  a  new  sensation. 
What  is  the  splendid  creature  that  seizes  the  bait 
and  shakes  and  worries  the  line  like  a  bull  ter- 
rier, giving  blow  for  blow;  this  tremendous  surge 
down,  down,  deep  into  the  heart  of  the  bay,  with 
irresistible  force  ?  Surely  this  is  not  the  fish,  or 


The  Chinook  of  Monterey  393 

its  cousin,  that  you  have  cast  flies  for  in  some 
Eastern  pool,  but  a  deeper  sulker,  a  down-plunger, 
as  there  is  water  in  which  to  plunge,  calling  to 
mind  the  yellowtail,  and  illustrating  the  point  that 
almost  any  fish  when  hooked  will  "  sound  "  if  the 
water  is  deep;  and  I  venture  the  statement  that 
if  tarpon  were  not  taken  in  shallow  water  they 
would  not  leap  so  well  or  so  continuously.  They 
leap  partly  because  they  cannot  go  down  to  any 
great  depth;  and  if  the  tuna  could  be  taken  in 
water  twenty  feet  deep  I  am  confident  that  it 
would  dash  into  the  air  and  take  its  place  with 
the  ten-pounder,  tarpon,  leaping  shark,  black 
bass,  kingfish,  and  others  which  leap  at  the 
strike.  Mr.  H.  Gray  Griswold  endeavored  to  test 
this  with  the  tuna  by  towing  one  into  shallow 
water,  but  doubtless  the  fish  by  this  time  was  too 
fatigued  to  leap. 

Our  sulking  salmon  is  raised  by  pumping  and 
other  means,  and  when  it  nears  the  surface  bears 
off,  running  and  making  a  gallant  fight.  But 
possibly  a  soup$on  of  disappointment  enters  the 
soul  of  the  angler  at  the  few  leaps  of  the  salmon, 
but  wait.  As  the  noble  fish  comes  up  and  the 
gaffer  fingers  his  weapon,  the  salmon  springs  into 
activity,  the  reel  screams  ze-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e,  a  long 


394  Big  Game  Fishes 

wail.  Did  ever  a  salmon  of  the  pool  make  so 
splendid  a  rush  ?  Your  line  is  melting  like  the 
snow  on  the  distant  Sierras  in  this  morning  sun. 
You  have  been  playing  the  fish  for  ten  minutes, 
but  the  sport  has  just  begun,  and  two  hundred 
feet,  perhaps  three  hundred,  away,  after  a  desper- 
ate leap,  the  chief  of  the  chinooks  is  hammering 
away,  dealing  you  lusty  blows,  and  preparing  to 
dive  deep  into  the  azure  waters.  Down  it 
plunges.  You  feel  the  throbbing  of  the  line,  and 
reel  and  lift,  making  line  slowly  against  this  marvel 
of  game  fishes  which,  when  again  at  the  surface, 
alternately  rushes  and  plunges,  and  sometimes 
—  tell  it  not  in  Gath!  —  hurls  the  hook  from 
its  jaws,  to  eye  you  a  second  and  slowly  dis- 
appear. But  you  wear  the  talisman  of  good  luck, 
and  the  gallant  salmon  comes  in,  fighting  every 
inch,  a  splendid  quarry,  the  type  of  all  that  is  best 
in  the  angler's  score,  a  perfect  game  fish  in  play 
and  edible  quality. 

On  such  a  day  and  in  this  very  place,  Mr. 
Whitney  took  twenty-seven  salmon  from  daylight 
to  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  weighing  four 
hundred  and  eighty-two  pounds,  a  record  which 
if  it  has  been  exceeded  in  the  beautiful  bay  of 
Carmel  has  not  been  recorded.  I  can  conceive 


The  Chinook  of  Monterey  395 

of  no  more  attractive  salmon  fishing  ground  than 
this  or  Monterey  bay,  and  in  the  vicinity  are  some 
of  the  finest  trout  streams  in  California,  Carmel 
River  running  up  into  the  Coast  Range  with 
sixty-five  miles  of  fishing,  and  entering  the  bay 
near  the  old  mission.  Not  far  away  is  the  Del 
Monte  preserve  of  twelve  thousand  acres  for 
sportsmen,  well  stocked  and  well  protected,  and 
along  the  upper  banks  of  the  Carmel  one  finds 
the  Potrero,  Garcia  Creek,  the  San  Clemente,  the 
Dionicio,  the  Cachagua,  the  Chupines,  —  all  sug- 
gestive that  the  salmon  angler  has  but  to  row 
ashore  at  the  old  Carmel  mission,  and  in  the 
same  day  transfer  his  allegiance  to  the  trout,  the 
gamy  cousin  of  the  salmon  of  the  deep  sea,  and 
wander  through  some  of  the  most  charming  re- 
gions of  northern  California,  sylvan  scenes  so 
opposite  to  those  which  form  the  background  of 
salmon-fishing  that  one  may  well  doubt  that  the 
limitless  Pacific  rolls  and  stretches  away  so  near 
that  its  voice  blends  with  the  song  of  birds  and 
the  rustle  of  forest  leaves. 

Santa  Cruz,  an  attractive  town  several  miles 
north  of  Monterey,  is  equally  famous  for  its  salmon, 
and  near  one  of  the  noblest  forests  of  the  world, 
while  the  bay  of  Monterey  is  an  attractive  and 


396  Big  Game  Fishes 

prolific  fishing  ground,  better  known  and  more 
often  fished  than  Carmel.  The  salmon  in  its 
habits  presents  many  remarkable  features — living 
in  the  ocean  in  its  adult  stage ;  taking  to  rivers 
to  spawn;  impelled  by  a  marvellous  instinct  to 
seek  the  high  waters  of  streams ;  leaping  high 
falls ;  swimming  up  cascades  which  would  be 
considered  impossible  had  not  the  leap  been  seen, 
photographed,  and  measured ;  overcoming  all  ob- 
stacles, to  reach  at  last  a  spot  hundreds  of  miles 
from  the  winter  home,  to  deposit  their  eggs  only 
to  die.  The  movement  of  these  fishes,  their  re- 
markable ascent  of  streams,  in  fact,  the  complete 
cycle  of  their  lives,  with  their  many  conditions, 
constitute  one  of  the  most  fascinating  pages  in 
the  history  of  game  fishes  of  fresh  or  saline 
water. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

GAME   FISHES   OF   THE   COLONIES 

THE  colonial  possessions  of  this  country,  espe- 
cially those  of  the  Pacific,  abound  in  a  number  of 
interesting  fishes  which,  when  thoroughly  inves- 
tigated, will  doubtless  add  to  the  list  of  large 
American  game  fishes  available  to  anglers.  Very 
little  attention  has  been  paid  to  angling  as  a 
sport  either  in  Hawaii  or  the  Philippines,  and  as 
in  the  present  volume  I  have  confined  my  de- 
scription of  catches  to  those  personally  made,  I 
shall  pass  them  with  but  brief  reference,  and  turn 
to  the  game  fishes  of  Porto  Rico,  all  of  which  I 
have  brought  to  gaff  or  net. 

About  Honolulu  the  opah,  referred  to  in  a 
previous  chapter,  is  taken,  and  I  have  seen  a 
photograph  of  a  large  specimen  of  this  fish 
claimed  to  have  been  taken  in  these  waters  with 
rod  and  reel.  Dr.  Jordan,  who  in  1902  made  a 
visit  to  Samoa  and  the  islands,  wrote  me  :  "  Game 
fishing  is  almost  unknown  about  the  islands, 

397 


398  Big  Game  Fishes 

although  there  are  a  great  many  fishes  —  probably 
two  hundred  species  —  which  take  the  hook  and 
might  come  under  that  head.  There  are  several 
large  species  of  Caranx,  but  we  are  not  sure 
what  any  of  them  are."  This  latter  genus  in- 
cludes the  jacks  or  crevalle  of  our  southern 
waters,  which  undoubtedly  would  afford  good 
sport.  An  eastern  angler,  whose  name  I  have 
unfortunately  mislaid,  showed  me  a  photograph 
of  a  large  fish  which  weighed  at  least  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds,  taken  at  one  of  the 
Hawaiian  Islands  with  rod  and  reel,  which  he 
claimed  was  as  gamy  as  the  tuna.  I  recognized 
in  this  fish  a  very  rare  and  interesting  species,  one 
specimen  of  which  has  been  found  at  Santa  Cata- 
lina,  which  weighed  about  fifty  pounds.  Dr. 
Charles  H.  Gilbert  of  Stanford  University  kindly 
identified  this  latter  specimen  for  me  and  wrote 
regarding  it :  "I  find  now  that  it  represents  an 
undoubted  specimen  of  a  form  hitherto  known 
only  from  the  Mediterranean  and  neighboring 
waters  (Luvarus  imperialis).  It  is  said  to  be 
rare  in  its  home  waters,  and  is  as  yet  unreported 
from  our  Atlantic  coast." 

This   fish  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  the 
"jack,"  but  was  very  large  and  powerful,  and  if 


Game  Fishes  of  the  Colonies          399 

available  to  anglers  would  doubtless  take  its  place 
with  the  tarpon,  tuna,  and  other  big  game  of  un- 
doubted standing. 

So  far  as  the  angler  is  concerned,  our  new 
colony  Porto  Rico  presents  a  field  that  can,  as 
regards  game,  be  compared  to  southern  Florida, 
the  environment  being  more  tropical  and  charm- 
ing ;  but  the  conditions  for  fishing  are  in  many 
respects  different  and  vastly  inferior.  Porto  Rico 
is  about  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  New  York, 
or  it  can  be  reached  by  train  to  Florida  and  boat 
to  Key  West  or  Havana.  It  has  a  coast  line  of 
three  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  faces  the  north 
bravely,  and  while  tropical,  is  really  cooler  than 
any  other  island  of  the  group.  Frederic  A. 
Ober  has  explored  its  waters  and  mountains 
and  painted  its  charms  perhaps  more  vividly  than 
any  other  American.  The  island  is  deficient  in 
good  harbors,  San  Juan  being  the  best  one  on  the 
north,  about  which  some  good  fishing  is  to  be 
had ;  to  the  westward  are  found  Puerto  Real  de 
Cabo  Rojo,  Anasco,  Rincon,  Aguadilla,  and  others 
available  for  the  angler.  On  the  south  side  are 
Ponce,  Jobos,  Guanica,  and  many  bays  and  inlets 
in  which  the  angler  with  North  American  tackle 
will  find  solace  and  amusement.  There  is  one 


400  Big  Game  Fishes 

peculiarity  about  the  island,  it  is  exposed  on  almost 
every  side  to  winds  and  as  a  result  a  heavy  surf 
prevails  at  localities  which  under  other  circum- 
stances might  afford  excellent  sport.  The  angler 
will  find  numbers  of  professional  fishermen  at 
San  Juan,  but  no  good  small  boats  regularly 
adapted  for  sport,  sail-boats  being  used. 

Among  the  fishes  the  robalo  will  interest  the 
angler  —  a  gamy  creature  three  or  four  feet  in 
length,  very  common  here  and  referred  to  in  a 
previous  chapter.  A  good  ground  for  it  is  the  Rio 
Plato  and  the  various  lagoons,  the  fish  affecting 
shallow  and  smooth  water  wherever  it  can  be 
found.  Near  San  Cristobal  the  jurel  and  cherna 
fishing  is  excellent.  The  former,  Caranx,  is  a 
gamy  fish  though  of  small  size,  rarely  exceeding 
two  feet  in  length,  but  very  gamy,  as  I  can  testify, 
having  often  taken  it  in  Florida  waters  where 
the  conditions  are  more  favorable,  so  far  as  wind 
is  concerned.  The  cherna  next  to  the  tarpon  is 
perhaps  the  largest  game  fish  found  here  and 
very  common,  large  individuals  weighing  fifty  or 
more  pounds.  Equally  as  large,  if  not  larger, 
is  the  black  grouper,  common  at  many  points 
and  a  fine  fish,  especially  when  it  can  be  found 
in  shallow  water.  Here  is  the  familiar  hogfish, 


Game  Fishes  of  the  Colonies          401 

now  known  as  the  perro  perro,  and  often  ignomin- 
iously  caught  in  pots,  and  there  are  a  host  of 
bait-eaters,  as  doncella,  a  beautiful  little  parrot- 
fish,  chaetodonts,  and  many  more.  The  Porto 
Rican  waters  abound  in  parrot-fishes,  found  on  the 
coral  reef,  the  cotoro  verde,  loro  Colorado,  and  vieja 
Colorado  being  particularly  common,  some  attain- 
ing a  weight  of  twenty  pounds  or  more.  Among 
them  is  found  the  familiar  spadefish,  here  known 
as  paguala,  tipping  the  scales  from  eight  to 
twenty  pounds.  The  tarpon  is  a  very  common 
fish  about  Porto  Rico,  but  I  cannot  learn  that 
any  one  has  ever  taken  it  there  for  sport,  and  as 
the  flesh  is  very  poor  there  is  no  incentive  for  the 
local  fishermen  to  catch  the  sabalo,  as  it  is  some- 
times called.  Barton  W.  Evermann,  who  is  the 
authority  on  the  fishes  of  Porto  Rico,  and  who 
has  made  an  elaborate  and  valuable  report  to  the 
government  on  the  subject,  entitled  General  Re- 
port on  the  Investigations  in  Porto  Rico  of  the 
United  States  Fish  Commission  Steamer  Fish 
Hawk,  in  1889,  made  some  interesting  discoveries 
at  Hucares  relating  to  the  young  of  the  tarpon, 
finding  several  young  fishes  ranging  from  two  to 
seven  inches  in  length  at  the  former  place  and  at 
Fajardo.  I  have  made  many  attempts  to  learn 

2D 


402  Big  Game  Fishes 

something  regarding  the  breeding  habits  of  this 
fish,  but  beyond  ascertaining  that  females  taken 
at  Aransas  Pass  in  summer  bore  spawn,  could 
learn  nothing,  fishermen  at  this  point  never 
having  seen  the  young.  The  angler  visiting 
Porto  Rico  will  find  another  fine  game  fish, 
the  "  ten-pounder,"  a  cousin  of  the  doughty  tarpon 
called  here  "  piojo,"  "  matajuelo  real,"  chiro  and 
"  lisa  francesa,"  according  to  Evermano.  For  ra- 
pidity of  motion  and  remarkable  acrobatic  feats, 
this  fish  stands  at  the  head  of  all  game  fishes. 
The  leap  of  the  tarpon  is  stupendous  and  im- 
pressive, but  it  is  deliberation  compared  to  the 
erratic  and  rapid  rushes  of  the  ten-pounder.  I 
can  only  compare  the  leaps  of  the  fish  to  an  an- 
imated flashing  beam  of  silvery  light.  The  first 
one  I  hooked  dashed  out  of  the  water  in  every 
possible  position,  fairly  dazzling  the  eye.  At 
Aransas  Pass  this  fish  is  very  common. 

The  attractive  yellowtail  of  Florida  is  found 
here  plentifully  and  known  as  the  colirubia,  a 
delight  giver  with  light  rod. 

A  number  of  grunts,  Hasmulon,  are  found  in 
Porto  Rico,  ronco,  arraydo,  corocoro,  jallao,  being 
some  of  the  Spanish  names  under  which  the 
sailors'  choice,  the  black  grunt,  striped  grunt,  and 


Game  Fishes  of  the  Colonies          403 

margate-fish  of  Florida  are  known ;  but  not  much 
can  be  said  for  their  game  qualities,  at  least  in 
my  estimation.  They  are  famous  bait-eaters, 
excellent  pan-fishes,  and  among  the  loudest  of 
all  the  grunters,  or  "  talkers,"  of  which  there  are 
many  among  fishes.  I  well  remember  the  first 
grunt  I  ever  caught.  It  was  such  a  good-natured- 
looking  little  creature  that  I  unhooked  it  care- 
fully, feeling  that  its  large  and  expressive  eyes 
were  watching  me  with  more  earnestness  than 
is  usual  among  fishes;  and  as  I  held  it,  it 
began  to  grunt,  so  loudly  that  I  surrendered  at 
once  and  tossed  it  overboard,  quite  convinced 
that  the  extraordinary  sounds  were  pleas  for 
mercy.  Nearly  all  of  the  grunts  are  attractive, 
even  beautiful  fishes,  —  the  common  grunt  of 
Porto  Rico,  Ronco  arara,  being  one  of  the  most 
striking  in  its  range  and  combination  of  color. 
In  some  of  the  parrot-fishes  the  singular  joined 
teeth  are  blue  or  pink,  and  this  quaint  and 
familiar  grunt  has  the  inside  of  its  mouth  colored 
a  vivid  red ;  and  when  hooked  it  comes  pleas- 
antly up  with  its  mouth  wide  open,  ready  to 
fairly  grunt  its  way  to  liberty  if  the  angler  is  sen- 
timental or  soft-hearted,  as  without  doubt  certain 
anglers  are. 


404  Big  Game  Fishes 

An  excellent  fish  here  is  the  pompon,  Aniso- 
tremus  surinamensis,  which  attains  a  length  of 
nearly,  if  not  quite,  four  feet,  and  bears  a  super- 
ficial resemblance  to  the  drum.  Another  species, 
though  small,  calls  to  mind  the  porgy,  the  pro- 
file being  vertical,  giving  the  "catalineta"  an 
appearance  of  solidity  and  strength.  With  it  is 
seen  the  "  pluma,"  or  jolt-head  porgy,  Calamus 
kendalli,  a  lusty  twelve  or  fifteen  pound  fish, 
capable  of  making  a  vigorous  fight.  Its  large 
head,  prominent  eyes,  and  masklike  face  make 
it  a  conspicuous  form  among  the  Porto  Rican 
fishes.  Porgies  have  the  faculty  of  expressing 
their  emotions  with  their  dorsal  fins  to  a  certain 
extent,  recognized  by  those  who  have  kept  them 
in  confinement.  I  watched  this  fish  in  an 
enclosed  aquarium  on  the  reef  for  a  year.  It 
became  very  tame,  would  eat  from  my  hand,  and 
in  swimming  invariably  kept  the  sharp  spines 
of  the  dorsal  fin  flat  upon  its  back ;  but  when  I 
approached,  up  they  would  go,  and  if  I  made  a 
very  quick  movement,  they  would  stiffen  out 
like  quills  upon  the  fretful  porcupine,  forcibly 
reminding  spectators  of  the  hair  on  a  cat's  back, 
or  the  tail  of  a  cat  or  dog. 

The  gamy  white  sea-bass  and  the  weak-fish  are 


Game  Fishes  of  the  Colonies          405 

represented  in  Porto  Rico  by  the  "  corvina," 
Cynoscion  jamaicensis.  Many  striking  rays  are 
found  about  here,  the  list  in  all  probability 
being  similar  to  that  of  Florida.  One  popularly 
known  as  the  eagle  ray  (SEtobatus)  is  a  most 
graceful  and  attractive  creature,  as  I  recall  it, 
literally  flying  ahead  of  my  boat  over  shallow 
lagoons  on  the  reef,  the  back  dark  with  vivid 
light  spots  —  a  veritable  leopard  of  the  sea. 
Its  side  fins  move  up  and  down  with  a  singularly 
graceful  movement,  the  fish  appearing  to  fly 
along.  Trailed  behind  this  birdlike  creature 
is  a  tail  like  a  whip-lash,  longer  than  the 
extreme  width  of  the  fish,  a  most  dangerous  and 
effective  weapon.  Just  above  its  base  are  from 
one  to  three  spines  set  one  above  the  other,  and 
about  six  inches  in  length,  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
in  width,  and  closely  serrated.  One  in  my  pos- 
session, a  souvenir  of  the  adventure  to  follow, 
is  a  very  good  saw  if  soft  wood  is  employed. 
If  this  creature  could  by  any  means  be  con- 
sidered a  game  fish,  no  one  capturing  it  would 
gainsay  it,  as  a  more  gallant  fighter  does  not 
sail  the  shallow  seas,  and  as  a  ground  and  lofty 
tumbler,  a  leaper  of  high  degree,  it  holds  high 
rank.  The  leap  is  a  most  graceful  movement, 


406  Big  Game  Fishes 

and  one  of  these  fishes  sprang  into  the  air  so 
near  my  boat  at  Aransas  Pass  that  I  intuitively 
dodged.  Even  the  big  manta,  seventeen  feet 
across,  leaps,  and  I  have  heard  the  thundering 
crash  of  its  fall  or  return,  sounding  like  an 
explosion  on  a  hot  summer  night  on  the  Florida 
reef.  One  of  my  boatmen,  Paublo  by  name,  a 
negro  prone  to  the  siesta  at  any  and  all  hours, 
was  very  fond  of  fishing,  and  frequently  when  I 
was  fishing  for  small  barracudas  from  the  beach 
of  the  Florida  Keys,  and  he  had  caught  my  bait, 
he  would  fling  down  his  cast-net,  take  from  his 
pocket  a  long  cotton  line,  and  baited,  send  it 
swinging  out  into  the  channel ;  then  lying  down, 
crossing  one  leg  over  the  other,  he  would  take 
a  turn  with  the  line  about  his  big  toe,  and  forth- 
with fall  asleep.  On  one  occasion  I  heard  his 
yells,  and  looking  back  saw  him  on  his  back, 
one  leg  in  the  air,  being  nearly  hauled  over- 
board by  a  large  whip  ray.  I  have  referred  to 
the  whip  as  a  weapon,  and  a  most  effective 
one  it  was.  In  poling  my  dinghy  over  the 
reef  a  companion,  who  was  sitting  in  the  bow 
with  legs  overboard,  was  suddenly  struck  by  a 
ray  which  darted  up  out  of  the  high  weed,  not 
only  cutting  his  naked  legs,  but  lacerating  his 


Game  Fishes  of  the  Colonies      .    407 

foot  across  the  instep  with  three  deep  cuts  to 
the  bone,  made  by  the  serrated  spines. 

In  Porto  Rico  the  kingfish,  or  "  sierra,"  occurs 
with  the  Spanish  mackerel  and  the  great  picuda, 
and  on  the  reef  the  moray,  or  "morena  verde," 
an  ugly  creature  often  six  feet  in  length.  One 
which  I  inadvertently  brought  into  my  boat  in 
Florida  charged  me  so  ferociously  that  I  sprang 
up  the  mast  to  avoid  it,  while  my  companion 
went  overboard,  the  water  being  shallow,  leaving 
the  monster  in  full  possession,  which  finally 
made  its  way  into  the  water  again. 

So  far  as  mere  angling  is  concerned  Porto 
Rico  offers  no  advantage  over  Florida,  indeed, 
is  not  to  be  compared  to  it.  The  fishes  are 
about  the  same.  On  the  reef  of  the  latter  the 
weather  conditions  are  more  favorable,  the  heavy 
winds  which  pile  the  sea  in  so  continuously  at 
Porto  Rico  are  lacking ;  yet  in  both  localities  in 
midsummer  the  angler  may  expect  heat  of  an 
intense  and  monotonous  variety. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

BAIT  AND   GROUNDS 

To  the  sea-angler  the  bait  and  often  the 
bait-catcher  is  an  important  factor  to  be  con- 
sidered, especially  in  Southern  seas,  on  the  great 
reef  which  reaches  out  from  Cape  Florida  and 
trends  to  the  west  as  though  determined  in  ages 
to  come  to  enclose  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  make 
it  an  inland  sea.  The  bait-taker  is  an  interest- 
ing personage,  and  the  collection  of  bait,  at  least 
on  the  reef,  a  fascinating  pastime.  Paublo,  his 
naked  black  shoulders  half  covered  by  the  cast- 
net  slung  over  them,  the  heavy  sinkers  or 
weights  —  leaden  beads  —  clanging  as  he  strode 
along  the  shore,  his  keen  eyes  on  the  watch 
for  mullets,  was  a  most  picturesque  figure.  The 
newcomer  would  wonder  who  or  what  he  was, 
as  in  one  hand  he  bore  a  huge  cimeter-like 
object  with  a  cloth  bound  about  the  end  as  a 
handle.  With  the  cast-net  he  took  mullets, — 
bait  for  barracuda,  jack,  and  amber-jack.  With 

408 


Bait  and  Grounds  409 

the  "sword"  he  crept  upon  schools  of  small 
sardines  or  "hard  heads,"  which  hugged  the 
shore,  and  which  were  intended  to  lure  the  gray 
snapper  to  its  death.  Sighting  a  school,  he 
would  drop  the  cast-net  on  the  sands  and  wade 
out  into  the  water  knee-deep,  then  coming 
slowly  in,  apparently  not  moving,  creeping  upon 
a  brown  spot  six  feet  across,  directly  at  the 
surface.  When  within  reach  the  cimeter  was 
raised,  coming  down  with  terrific  force,  cutting 
through  the  school,  and  maiming  thirty  or  more 
fishes,  all  that  were  needed.  At  the  upper  end 
of  the  lagoon,  really  the  interior  of  a  growing 
atoll,  where  the  water  was  shallow,  the  ripple 
on  the  surface  told  of  schools  of  mullets,  and 
the  net  was  taken  from  his  shoulders  and 
manoeuvred  for  several  moments  as  he  slowly 
waded  out  in  their  direction.  The  cast-net 
when  spread  out  represented  a  circle  from  six 
to  ten  feet  in  diameter.  The  circumference  of 
the  circle  was  lined  with  lead  beads  or  sink- 
ers, each  an  inch  in  length,  and  from  the  cir- 
cumference to  the  centre  extended  six  or  eight 
stout  cords  which  passed  through  an  orifice  lined 
with  leather;  these  met  and  joined;  to  this  was 
fastened  another  cord  eight  or  ten  feet  in  length. 


410  Big  Game  Fishes 

Such  a  contrivance  was  utterly  impossible  to 
a  novice,  and  in  my  novitiate  I  afforded  the 
habitues  of  this  portion  of  the  reef  no  little 
amusement.  I  succeeded  in  catching  myself, 
throwing  myself  over,  and  nearly  losing  my 
teeth  by  forgetting  to  let  go  at  the  proper  mo- 
ment. But  in  the  hands  of  Paublo  the  casting 
of  the  net  became  a  scene  worthy  the  brush  of 
an  artist.  The  object  was  to  toss  the  folded  net 
so  that  it  would  radiate  over  the  school;  and  to 
accomplish  this  he  spread  it  out  in  some  way 
over  his  left  arm,  holding  a  portion  of  the  edge 
between  his  teeth  and  the  coil  of  cord  in  one 
hand.  In  this  position,  crouching,  moving  step 
by  step,  stealthily,  toward  the  school,  he  reached 
a  casting  distance,  perhaps  eight  or  ten  feet,  then 
would  stop,  give  a  slight  swing  to  the  left,  a  long 
turn  to  the  right,  and  with  all  his  force  launch 
the  net  into  the  air  ahead  of  him.  At  once  it 
assumed  a  circular  shape,  dropping  upon  the 
school,  the  lead  weights  sinking  it  to  the  bot- 
tom, holding  the  mullets  in  its  toils.  He  now 
approached  and  began  a  series  of  twitches  upon 
the  cord,  which  imparted  a  like  movement  to 
the  radiating  cords,  which  presently  hauled  the 
sinkers  together,  completely  enclosing  the  fish 


Bait  and  Grounds  411 

in  a  purse  or  bag,  in  which  the  entire  catch  was 
easily  lifted  and  hauled  ashore. 

The  mullet,  Mugil  cephalus,  is  the  most  im- 
portant bait  fish  in  the  Gulf  region  and  is  found 
with  another  species,  the  silver-mullet,  Mugil 
curema,  in  vast  numbers  from  the  lower  Florida 
keys  northward,  —  Biscayne  Bay  and  Key,  Indian 
River,  and  the  Gulf  states  all  having  their 
quota,  caught  in  seines  and  cast-nets  at  the 
various  points  alongshore.  The  average  mullet 
weighs  about  half  a  pound  to  a  pound,  adults 
reaching  seven,  eight,  or  even  twelve  pounds, 
according  to  fishermen. 

Fishes  of  various  kinds  constitute  the  common 
bait  of  the  Florida  region,  but  on  the  outer  reef 
crayfish  and  conch  were  equally  important.  Be- 
fore the  singular  destruction  of  the  coral  at  Tor- 
tugas,  some  years  ago,  nearly  every  branch  and 
head  was  the  home  of  one  or  more  crayfish, — 
pronounced  "craw,"  on  the  reef,  really  the  spiny 
lobster,  Palinurus.  They  dug  out  the  sand  so 
that  their  tails  could  be  inserted,  and  backed  in, 
leaving  their  whips  or  antennae  to  wave  to  and 
fro.  It  was  an  easy  matter  to  grain  them.  The 
grains  was  a  two-pronged  barbed  spear  not  un- 
like a  fish's  tail  in  shape,  with  a  long,  yellow 


412  Big  Game  Fishes 

pine  handle.  By  going  out  upon  the  lagoon  or 
inner  reef  by  sunrise  the  crayfish  could  be 
caught,  as  at  this  time  they  came  in  and  spread 
over  the  reef,  feeding  upon  the  various  kinds  of 
algae.  So  plentiful  were  they  at  times,  that  a 
boat  could  almost  have  been  filled  if  necessary. 
This  was  the  most  killing  bait  on  the  reef  ex- 
cept for  bonito,  barracuda,  and  jack  of  various 
kinds.  Another  bait  used  for  red  snapper  and 
grouper  was  conch,  Strombus  gigas,  the  rich 
pink-lipped  shell  so  common  in  collections. 
These  could  be  found  crawling  over  the  lagoon 
in  vast  numbers,  "hitching"  themselves  along 
by  their  sword-shaped  operculum.  The  Conch- 
town  of  Key  West  in  early  days  took  its  name 
from  the  Bahamians  and  others,  who,  it  was 
supposed,  lived  more  or  less  upon  conchs,  a  diet 
as  tough  as  unpounded  abalone.  The  method 
of  taking  conchs  was  to  pole  the  boat  along,  a 
negro  accompanying  it,  who  jumped  overboard 
and  threw  the  conchs  in  as  fast  as  they  were 
sighted.  They  were  opened  with  a  hatchet  by 
cutting  around  the  small  end  of  the  shell,  upon 
which  the  animal  could  be  unscrewed.  Owing 
to  its  toughness  this  bait  was  in  high  esteem 
among  the  professional  fishermen. 


CALIFORNIA  HERRING 

Clupea  pallasi 


SURF  SMELT 
Hypomesus  pretiosus 


Bait  and  Grounds  413 

Mullet  is  the  popular  bait  for  tarpon  and  a 
killing  lure  for  almost  any  fish  which  preys 
upon  its  kind.  At  Fernandina,  Florida,  fiddler- 
crab  is  a  valued  bait,  and  I  often  drew  on  the 
preserves  on  the  way  to  the  fort,  where  there 
was  always  an  endless  supply,  the  struggling 
crab  being  a  dainty  that  drum,  sheepshead,  chan- 
nel-bass, or  sea-trout  rarely  refuse.  At  Aransas 
Pass,  shrimp,  taken  with  a  fine-mesh  cast-net,  is 
a  favorite  bait  for  channel-bass,  Spanish  mack- 
erel, and  others. 

In  New  England  clam  bait,  both  hard  and  soft, 
is  popular,  and  the  title  "  high-tide  clam-digger  " 
was  a  term  of  derision  applied  by  an  old  beach- 
comber of  my  fishing  acquaintance  to  indicate 
the  stupidity  of  a  "tenderfoot."  Menhaden  is 
excellent  bait  for  various  fishes  in  this  region.  In 
the  Chesapeake  crabs  are  so  plentiful  that  they 
are  often  used,  the  common  edible  crab  preferred, 
and  various  shellfish. 

In  California  waters  baits  of  several  kinds 
are  used.  Many  fishermen  use  the  meat  of  the 
beautiful  shell  abalone,  Haliotis,  which  is  tough 
and  eaten  only  after  being  vigorously  pounded. 
The  California  crayfish,  Palinurus,  ranks  next, 
and  is  a  killing  lure,  but  already  it  is  so  rare 


Big  Game  Fishes 

on  account  of  over-fishing,  that  it  is  an  expen- 
sive bait.  At  the  islands,  for  trolling,  the 
principal  baits  for  yellowtail  are  the  California 
herring,  Clupea  pallasii,  and  the  California 
smelt,  Atherinopsis  calif orniensis,  —  the  latter 
preferred  on  account  of  its  firmness.  The  Cali- 
fornia flying-fish,  Exoccetus  californiensis,  is  the 
only  bait  in  vogue  for  the  tuna.  It  is  caught 
in  gill-nets,  and  numbers  are  frequently  found  in 
early  morning  in  the  fleet  of  fishing-boats  and 
upon  the  beaches  where  they  have  "  sailed "  to 
escape  the  midnight  raids  of  tuna  and  white  sea- 
bass.  The  flying-fish  is  migratory,  arriving  at 
Santa  Catalina  in  April,  —  sometimes  earlier, 
sometimes  later,  —  spawning  in  Avalon  Bay  in 
May  and  June.  In  July  I  have  found  the  young 
half  an  inch  long.  They  resemble  grasshoppers 
in  their  attempts  to  "fly,"  hopping  from  the  water 
six  or  eight  inches  with  fins  extended,  and  remain- 
ing on  the  surface  like  the  gar.  All  reports  to 
the  contrary,  the  flying-fish  does  not  fly.  When 
alarmed  it  whirls  its  tail  about  like  a  screw,  which 
drives  it  from  the  water  with  great  force.  The 
convulsive  motion  of  the  tail  extends  up  the  body 
toward  the  head,  imparting  to  it  a  wriggling 
motion,  which  in  turn  imparts  to  the  "wings," 


Bait  and  Grounds  415 

fins,  a  tremulous  or  flapping  motion,  at  the  same 
time  they  are  "  flapped  "  in  an  attempt  to  aid  the 
fish  in  getting  out  of  the  water ;  but  the  moment 
the  fish  clears  the  water  the  fins  are  fixed  and 
do  not  move ;  they  are  mere  supporters,  the  fish 
being  an  animated  parachute,  or  aeroplane. 
The  only  motion  the  winglike  fins  have  is  a  flut- 
tering of  the  edges  when  the  wind  is  strong  and 
ahead.  The  pectorals  may  be  said  to  be  locked  ; 
so  are  the  ventrals,  which  also  present  a  wide  sur- 
face and  aid  in  bearing  up  the  fish.  The  latter 
moves  until  its  inertia  is  exhausted,  then  the  tail 
drops  until  it  touches  the  surface,  whereupon  it 
is  whirled  furiously  about  again,  forcing  the  fish 
into  the  air;  and  in  this  way  it  can  travel  for 
a  fourth  of  a  mile,  then  falling  heavily  with  a 
crash,  not  entering  the  water  head  first.  The  fish 
has  a  very  limited  power  of  changing  its  direction. 
I  have  repeatedly  had  them  pass  over  my  boat, 
have  been  struck,  and  have  seen  them  strike 
others ;  have  watched  the  fish  in  passing  a  few 
inches  from  my  face,  and  have  waved  my  hat  at 
it,  all  of  which  had  no  effect  upon  its  movements 
or  the  direction  in  which  it  was  soaring.  From  a 
large  steamer  I  marked  the  course  of  flying-fishes 
as  they  rose,  and  several  struck  it. 


416  Big  Game  Fishes 

The  flying-fish  is  an  excellent  bait  for  yellow- 
tail  or  white  sea-bass,  as  well  as  tuna.  Along  the 
California  mainland,  wharf  fishermen  fish  for 
small  fry,  using  clams  and  the  various  crustaceans 
found  along  the  beaches,  the  natural  food  for 
"surf  fishes."  Squid,  if  it  could  be  obtained, 
would  be  excellent  bait  for  tuna,  as  in  July  I  have 
found  the  stomachs  of  tunas  filled  with  squid  ;  and 
as  they  stop  biting  very  suddenly,  it  is  due  possi- 
bly to  the  fact  that  they  change  their  diet. 

The  various  fishing-grounds  for  the  great 
oceanic  fishes  of  this  country  are  so  well  known 
that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  refer  to  them,  but 
for  the  convenience  of  the  angler  they  may  in 
a  very  broad  sense  be  divided  into  three 
classes:  the  region  from  Maine  to  Georgia, 
including  the  striped  bass,  bluefish,  blackfish, 
sheepshead,  drum,  etc.;  the  Gulf  region,  includ- 
ing the  snappers,  barracuda,  jewfish,  groupers, 
kingfish,  channel-bass,  hogfish,  black  grouper, 
etc.;  and  the  California  region,  including  the 
yellowtail,  white  sea-bass,  black  sea-bass,  alba- 
core,  tuna,  California  sheepshead,  and  California 
barracuda.  Fishing-grounds  for  the  first  men- 
tioned are  found  on  various  parts  of  the  New 
England  coast.  The  islands  south  of  the  Cape 


BAITED   HOOKS 


Bait  and  Grounds  417 

—  Martha's  Vineyard,  Nantucket,  and  others  — 
are  all  famous,  especially  Cuttyhunk  and  others, 
many  being  preserves  for  striped-bass  fishing.  At 
Fisher's  Island,  off  New  London,  I  have  found 
excellent  fishing  for  blackfish  and  bluefish.  Block 
Island  and  vicinity  is  a  famous  fishing-ground. 
In  the  vicinity  of  New  York  the  various  grounds 
are  well  known,  and  professional  fishermen  can 
be  found  all  alongshore  from  Hell  Gate  to  Fort 
Hamilton,  and  on  the  Jersey  coast;  while  in  the 
summer  daily  steamers  take  ardent  anglers  to  the 
fishing-banks.  Old  Point  Comfort  and  vicinity  is 
a  prolific  ground,  and  at  all  the  seaports  —  Beau- 
fort, Charleston,  Savannah,  and  Fernandina  —  the 
angler  will  find  more  or  less  excellent  fishing  for 
sheepshead,  drum,  and  "sea-trout."  At  Fernan- 
dina, in  the  mouth  of  the  river,  channel-bass  and 
sea-trout  are  found,  and  I  have  had  good  sport 
at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns  with  channel- 
bass  and  sea-trout,  not  to  speak  of  exhilarating 
shark-fishing.  Pilottown  is  on  the  north  side ; 
Mayport  on  the  south,  reached  by  boat  from  Fer- 
nandina or  from  Jacksonville ;  or  a  pleasant  trip 
is  by  small  boat  from  Fernandina  on  the  "  inside." 
From  here  south  the  fishing  increases,  and  the 
angler  can  now  reach  extreme  Southern  Florida 

2  E 


4i 8  Big  Game  Fishes 

by  rail  and  find  palatial  hotels  alongshore  afford- 
ing creature  comforts,  a  marked  contrast  to  the 
conditions  which  existed  twenty-five  years  ago, 
when  Southern  Florida  was  comparatively  un- 
known and  the  angler  reached  St.  Augustine 
from  the  St.  Johns  River  by  an  uncertain  mule 
route,  making  his  way  to  the  Indian  River  as 
best  he  could.  The  latter  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  fertile  regions  in  America  for  cer- 
tain fishes,  channel-bass,  crevally,  snapper,  blue- 
fish,  sheepshead,  sea-trout  (Cynosciori),  mangrove 
or  gray  snapper,  Spanish  mackerel,  and  sawfish. 
It  is  now  readily  reached  by  rail  from  New  York 
via  Jacksonville  and  St.  Augustine.  It  is  not 
a  river,  but  a  stretch  of  salt  water  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  miles  in  extent,  separated  from  the 
ocean  by  a  low  sandy  beach,  and  ranges  in  width 
from  a  few  feet,  at  Jupiter  Narrows,  to  six  miles 
at  Titusville.  It  is  a  shallow  lagoon,  with  a  depth 
of  from  three  to  seventeen  feet.  It  has  several 
inlets  connecting  it  with  the  ocean,  as  Haulover 
Channel,  Indian  River  Inlet,  Fort  Pierce  Chan- 
nel, Baker  Cut,  and  Garfield  Cut.  There  are 
several  rivers  running  into  it,  as  Gallie  Creek, 
Sebastian,  St.  Lucia,  and  Jupiter. 

The  bottom  of  this  "  river  "  is  in  the  main  hard 


Bait  and  Grounds  419 

and  sandy,  with  some  sandstone  and  coquina,  well 
covered  with  algae,  —  an  ideal  place  for  fish  and 
fishing.  The  temperature  of  the  water  in  January 
ranges  from  59°  to  65°.  Along  the  Indian  River 
are  a  number  of  places,  headquarters  for  the  pro- 
fessional fishermen,  where  the  angler  may  obtain 
information  as  to  boats,  boatmen,  etc.  Some  of 
these  are  Eden,  Titusville,  Eau  Gallic,  Cocoa, 
Melbourne,  Sebastian,  Fort  Pierce,  Jensen,  and 
Stuart,  all  in  Brevard  County  and  on  the  line  of 
the  Jacksonville  and  Indian  River  Railroad.  Ti- 
tusville, with  a  population  of  about  one  thousand, 
is  the  principal  town.  Following  down  the  coast 
we  come  to  Biscayne  Bay  and  its  many  keys,  and 
from  here  the  angler  may  make  his  way  down  the 
reef  and  find  a  most  interesting  country  at  Key 
West  and  the  keys  and  channels  to  the  north 
and  west.  Key  West  has  a  large  fishing  fleet. 
The  Tortugas  group  can  be  reached  by  charter- 
ing a  smack,  or  by  the  government  vessel.  The 
winters  here  are  delightful,  but  in  the  long  summer 
the  angler  may  expect  intense  heat  and  mosqui- 
toes, —  this  pest  not  comparing,  however,  with 
that  of  the  Florida  mainland  shores  and  rivers  in 
the  hot  months. 

The  fishing  localities  of  the  west  coast  of  Florida, 


420  Big  Game  Fishes 

more  or  less  famous  for  tarpon,  are  well  known, 
and  include  Tampa,  Cedar  Keys,  St.  James  City, 
Charlotte  Harbor,  White  Water  Bay,  Captiva 
Pass,  Homosassa,  Punta  Rassa,  and  others  —  all 
reached  via  the  railroad  from  Jacksonville.  Other 
resorts  on  the  north  Gulf  coast  may  be  found  at 
Pensacola  and  Mississippi  Sound.  The  tarpon 
country  of  the  coast  of  Texas  is  reached  via  New 
Orleans  from  the  east  and  San  Antonio  from  the 
west,  and  from  Galveston  to  Aransas  Pass  fine 
fishing  is  to  be  had.  The  country  calls  to  mind 
the  Indian  River  region,  being  protected  from  the 
sea  by  a  long  sandy  ridge.  The  town  of  Tarpon 
is  situated  on  Aransas  Pass,  reached  by  the  Aran- 
sas Pass  Railroad  to  Rockport,  where  the  mail  boat 
may  be  taken  to  Tarpon,  or  to  Sport,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Tarpon  Club  of  Texas.  The  cli- 
mate at  the  Pass  is  excellent  in  summer,  insect 
pests  are  absent,  and  continuous  breezes  from  the 
Gulf  make  the  angling  particularly  enjoyable. 

The  fishing  at  Galveston  is  worthy  of  special 
mention.  Here  we  find  the  Galveston  Tarpon 
Club,  whose  members  have  fine  sport  with  tar- 
pon, jack,  Spanish  mackerel,  and  redfish.  G.  E. 
Mann,  Esq.,  president  of  the  club,  writes  to  the 
Forest  and  Stream  as  follows,  which,  as  I  have 


CALIFORNIA  SMELT 
Athen'nopsfs  califomiensis 


BULL'S  EYE,   OR  CHUB   MACKEREL 

Scomber  colias 


Bait  and  Grounds  421 

never  visited  the  grounds,  I  take  the  liberty  to 
copy : — 

"  There  is  many  a  man  who,  if  he  knew  of  it, 
would  be  glad  to  come  a  thousand  miles  to 
wrestle  with  a  jackfish  or  shark  or  tarpon,  stand- 
ing on  a  granite  rock  six  miles  out  in  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico. 

"  It  is  strange  that  so  few  fishermen  know  of 
the  fishing  we  have  at  Galveston.  There  is  no 
other  place  in  America  that  deep-sea  fishing  can 
be  had  for  the  rod  and  reel  from  a  comfortable 
footing  on  a  flat  rock,  many  of  the  rocks  from 
six  to  eight  feet  square,  and  so  adjacent  that  you 
can  follow  along  for  a  hundred  yards  if  you  wish. 
The  jetties  are  some  nine  miles  from  the  wharves, 
just  far  enough  to  keep  out  the  pot-fishers,  yet 
within  an  hour's  run  for  a  good  launch.  The 
Tarpon  Club  is  small  and  has  only  one  boat,  but 
it  is  a  fine  seaworthy  launch,  carrying  a  dozen 
fishermen.  It  leaves  for  the  jetties  every  day  at 
one  o'clock  when  the  weather  is  suitable  for 
fishing,  and  nearly  every  day  some  of  the  mem- 
bers go  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  get 
back  in  time  to  do  a  day's  work.  We  have  an  en- 
thusiastic set  of  fishermen  who  are  always  glad  to 
welcome  the  stranger  within  our  gates,  who  is  of 


422  Big  Game  Fishes 

the  rod  and  reel  craft,  and  to  give  the  best  advan- 
tages we  can  for  fishing." 

The  coast  of  Louisiana  abounds  in  localities 
where  the  tarpon  and  other  fishes  can  be  taken  ; 
New  Orleans  having  many  ardent  anglers  who 
are  devoted  to  the  rod  and  reel. 

Los  Angeles  is  the  central  point  for  anglers 
going  to  the  fishing  resorts  of  Southern  California. 
The  tuna  grounds  are  at  Santa  Catalina  Island, 
twenty-five  miles  offshore,  reached  from  San 
Pedro,  twenty  miles  by  rail  from  Los  Angeles, 
by  the  Southern  Pacific,  Salt  Lake  railroads,  and 
an  electric  road,  there  being  from  one  to  three 
steamers  daily  in  summer  and  one  in  winter. 
Avalon,  the  port  of  Santa  Catalina,  is  three  and 
one-half  hours  from  Los  Angeles  and  has  a 
summer  population  of  five  or  six  thousand  and 
about  fifteen  hundred  in  winter.  Hotels,  cot- 
tages, boarding-houses,  and  numerous  professional 
boatmen  make  this  the  best-equipped  angling 
resort  in  the  country,  comfort  being  considered, 
there  being  no  hot  weather,  mosquitoes,  or  pests 
of  any  kind,  winter  or  summer,  and  that  essential 
for  tuna-fishing,  —  smooth  water. 

San  Clemente  Island,  twenty-two  miles  distant 
to  the  southwest,  can  be  reached  by  chartered 


Bait  and  Grounds  423 

boat.  It  is  government  property  and  rented  to 
sheep  herders,  and  permission  must  be  obtained 
to  camp.  The  fishing  is  identical  with  all  the 
island  resorts,  only  better,  if  we  except  the  tuna. 
Yachts  can  be  chartered  at  Santa  Catalina  or 
San  Pedro  for  the  trip  to  the  islands  of  Ana- 
capa,  Santa  Rosa,  Santa  Cruz,  San  Miguel,  and 
San  Nicolas,  or  one  can  go  from  Santa  Barbara. 
All  are  private  property,  and  there  are  no  towns 
and  no  regular  connecting  boats.  Larco,  a  Santa 
Barbara  professional  fisherman,  takes  parties  to 
the  islands,  which  are  large,  picturesque,  and 
beautiful.  The  only  comfortable  way  to  make  this 
trip  is  to  charter  a  commodious  vessel,  using  her 
as  a  base  of  supplies,  and  cruise  about  the  islands. 
Permission  must  be  obtained  to  go  ashore.  Pro- 
fessional fishermen  will  be  found  at  San  Pedro, 
Long  Beach,  Redondo,  Santa  Monica,  Newport, 
Laguna,  Coronado,  and  San  Diego,  who  take  an- 
glers out  into  the  channel  for  large  fish.  San 
Diego  is  reached  from  Los  Angeles  by  the 
Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  and 
by  a  line  of  steamers  from  San  Francisco,  stop- 
ping at  Santa  Barbara,  San  Pedro,  and  Re- 
dondo. The  coast  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
will  take  the  angler  to  San  Luis  Obispo,  where, 


424  Big  Game  Fisbes 

bass  and  other  fishes  are  to  be  had,  while  at 
Monterey  and  Santa  Cruz  in  the  summer  great 
schools  of  salmon  are  found.  Along  the  coast 
of  Oregon  and  Washington  are  many  charming 
fishing  regions  and  gamy  fish,  which  if  the  great 
halibut  is  excepted,  which  is  always  caught  off- 
shore, do  not  come  within  the  scope  of  this 
volume. 


INDEX 


Abalone,  shell,  as  bait,  413. 
Abeona  minima,  shiners,  186. 
sEtobatus,  eagle  ray,  405. 
Albacore  [  Germo  alalunga\  — 

Fishing  for,  200-209. 

Food,  201. 

Game  qualities,  20 1. 

Range,  201. 

Season,  202. 

Strength,  205. 

Tackle,  202. 

Value,  210. 

Amber-jack  [Seriola  lalandi\  149. 
Angel-fishes  — 

Black,  355-356. 

Family,  354. 

Yellow,  356-358. 
Angling,  see  Sea-angling. 
Anisotremus  surinamensis,  pompon, 

404. 

Antony  and  Cleopatra  story,  296. 
Aransas  Pass  — 

Jewfish  sport,  304. 

Shark  fishing,  372. 

Spanish  mackerel  fishing,  290. 

Tarpon,  253,  256,  261. 


Archosargus     probatocephalus,      see    Bait-taker,  408. 

Sheepshead. 

Arion,  dolphin  story,  347. 
Atherinopsis  californiensis  as  bait, 

414. 

Atlantic,  tuna  range,  Kingsley  on,  54. 
Avalon  — 

Angling  resort,  422. 
Sea-lion  catch,  279. 

425 


Bait  — 

Barracuda  of  Florida,  91,  92,  96. 

Blackfish,  276. 

Black  sea-bass,  no,  116. 

California  baits,  414. 

Clam  bait,  413. 

Collection  of  bait,  408-411. 

Conch  as  bait,  412. 

Crayfish  as  bait,  411. 

Drum,  318. 

Fiddler-crab  as  bait,  413. 

Flying-fish  as  bait,  414-416. 

Gray  snapper,  36,  37,  43. 

Groupers,  213,  220. 

Hogfish,  1 1 8. 

Jack,  173. 

Kingfish,  283,  288. 

Mullet  as  bait,  411. 

Sheepshead,  327,  329. 

Shell  abalone  as  bait,  413. 

Shrimp  as  bait,  413. 

Tarpon,  237,  253. 

Tuna,  59,  63,  414,  416. 

Varieties  of  bait,  411-416. 

White  sea-bass,  20,  26,  27,  28. 

Yellowtail,  140,  414. 


Barracuda  of  California  [Sphyrana 

argented\  — 
Fishing  for,  99-102. 
Food,  103. 
Habitat,  103. 
Spawn,  104. 
Tackle,  102. 
Weight,  102. 


426 


Index 


Barracuda  of  Florida  \_Sphyrana 
barracuda}  — 

Bait,  91,  92,  96. 

Curiosity,  91. 

Description,  89. 

Ferocity,  88,  90,  98. 

Fishing  methods  and  experi- 
ences, 91-96. 

Flushing,  92. 

Food,  value  as,  97. 

Game  qualities,  88. 

Giants,  98. 

Habits,  98. 

Range,  89. 

Spawning,  90. 

Tackle,  94. 

Young,  95. 


Channel- bass,  see  that  title. 

Sea-bass,  see  that  title. 

Striped  bass  sport,  277. 
Bastard  halibut  \_Paralichthys  call- 

fornicus~\  369. 
Black  angel-fish  [Pomacanthus  ar- 

cuatus']  35S-356- 
Blackfish     [Centropristes    striatus] 

277. 
Blackfish  [  Tautoga  onitis\  — 

Bait,  276. 

"  Chowder  fish,"  276. 

Fishing,  276-280. 

Food,  value  as,  275-276. 

Range,  274,  276. 

Spawning,  276. 

Weight,  276. 
Black   grouper  [Garrupa    nigrita~] 

216-221. 
Black  sea-bass  [Stereolepis  gigas]  — 

Bait,  no,  1 1 6. 

Color,  1 06. 

Fishing  for,  106-115. 

Game  qualities,  115. 

Haunts,  105,  106,  108. 

Length,  106,  107. 


Black  sea-bass  {continued]  — 

Season,  108. 

Species,  108. 

Tackle,  115,  116,  117. 

Towed  by,  112. 

Weight,  108,  109. 
Bluefish  [Pomatomus  saltatrix\  — 

Description,  158. 

Family,  158. 

Fishing  for,  153-158. 

Food,  value  as,  162. 

Game  qualities,  156. 

Migration,  159,  161. 

Number,  160. 

Range,  159,  161. 

Rod  record,  157. 

Spawning,  161. 

Synonyms  of,  152. 

Tackle,  155. 

Voracity,  160. 

Weight,  157. 
Blue  parrot-fish    \_Scarus  ccerulem~] 

338. 
Boatmen,    see    names    Long    John, 

etc. 
Boats— 

"  Bull  Pup  "  sloop,  323,  334. 

Tuna  fishing,  59. 

Yellowtail  fishing,  140. 
Bonito  \_Sarda  chiliensis]  — 

Beauty,  294. 

Range,  295. 

Season,  295. 

Sport,  294. 

Bottle-nose  dolphin  catch,  348. 
"  Bull  Pup  "  sloop,  323,  334. 
Butterfly-fish  [Lampris  luna~]  348. 
Butterfly-fishes,  name  for  mariposas, 

355- 
Byron,  dislike  for  angling,  268. 

Calamus  kendalli,  pluma,  404. 
California,  Gulf  of,   white   sea-bass 
habitat,  30. 


Index 


427 


California  barracuda,  see  Barracuda 

of  California. 

California  crayfish  as  bait,  413. 
California  flying-fish  as  bait,  414. 
California  herring  as  bait,  414. 
California  sheepshead  [  Pimelometo- 
pon  pulcher\  — 

Coloring,  177. 

Description,  176-178. 

Fishing  for,  181-183. 

Food,  value  as,  183. 

Game  qualities,  182. 

Range,  176,  179,  1 80. 

Tackle,  181. 

Weight,  183. 

California  smelt  as  bait,  414. 
Caranx  hippos,  see  Jack. 
Caranx  pisquetus,  hard-tailed  jack, 

173. 

Caulolatilus  princeps,  whitefish,  183. 
Centropomus,  robalo,  131. 
Centropomus  undesimalis,  found  on 

Texan  coast,  131. 

Centropristes  striatus,  sea-bass,  277. 
Chance  in  sea-angling,  14. 
Channel-bass  [Scianops  ocellatus~\  — 

Description,  187,  193,  194. 

Fishing  for,  191-193. 

Food,  value  as,  199. 

Game  qualities,  198. 

Names,  189. 

Range,  188,  190,  198. 

Size,  195. 

Spawn,  199. 

Surf- fishing,  196. 

Tackle,  191. 

Value,  199. 

Cherna  criolla  grouper,  221. 
Chief,  grouper  fishing,  216. 
Chinook   of   Monterey    [  Oncorhyn- 
chus  tschawytschd\  — 

Fly-fishing,  384-386. 

Habits,  387,  396. 

Kipling's  fishing  experiences,  385. 


Chinook  of  Monterey  [continued]  — 
Season,  388. 
Sport,  388,  390-395- 
Tackle,  388-390. 
Whitney,  J.  P.,  study  and  writ- 
ings, 385,  386,  389,  391, 

394- 

Chatodipterus  faber,  see  Mariposas. 

"  Chowder  fish,"  blackfish,  276. 

Clam  bait,  413. 

Cleopatra  and  Antony  story,  296. 

Clupea  pallasii  as  bait,  414. 

Colonies,  fishes  of,  see  Hawaiian  Isl- 
ands and  Porto  Rico. 

Conch  as  bait,  412. 

Coryphanida,  see  Dolphin. 

Crayfish  as  bait,  411,  413. 

Cuban  hogfish,  128. 

Cynoscion  macdonaldi,  species  of 
white  sea-bass,  30. 

Cynoscion  nobilis,  see  White  sea-bass. 

Cynoscion  parvipinnis,  species  of 
white  sea-bass,  32. 

Deep-sea  fishes  and  water  pressure, 

11-12. 

Digestive  organs  of  game  fishes,  8. 
Dog  snapper  [Lutianus  jocu~\  45. 
Dolphin  [  Coryphcenidai}  — 

Beauty  of,  345. 

Bottle-nose  dolphin,  348. 

Color  changes,  346. 

Description,  345-348. 

Fishing,  342-347. 

Game  qualities,  13,  345. 

Range,  343. 

Size,  346. 

Species,  348. 

Tackle,  344. 

"  Don  Juan,"  quotation  from,  268. 
Drum  \_Pogonias  cromis~\  — 

Bait,  318. 

Description,  311. 

Drumming,  314. 


428 


Index 


Drum  [continued]  — 
Fishing,  3i7-323- 
Food,  312. 
Game  qualities,  322. 
Habits,  312. 
Names,  312. 
Range,  312,  314. 
Scaling,  318. 
Size,  311. 
Spawning,  313. 
Tackle,  317. 
Value,  323. 

Eagle  ray  [JStobatus]  405. 

Eggs  of  game  fishes,  9. 

Elliott,  Hon.  W.,  sheepshead  sport, 

327- 

Epinephelus  drummond-hayi, 
spotted  grouper,  222. 

Epinephelus  morio,  red  grouper,  212- 
215. 

Evermann,   B.  W.,  fishes  of  Porto 
Rico,  401. 

Eye  movement  of  halibut,  370. 

Feast  of  the  kingfish,  288. 
Fiddler-crab  as  bait,  413. 
Fishes,  see  Game  fishes. 
Fishing  grounds,  416-424. 

[See  also  names  of  'places '.] 
Florida  barracuda,  see  Barracuda  of 

Florida. 

Florida  fishing  grounds,  417. 
Florida  jewfish,  see  Jewfish. 
Florida  reef — 

Bait,  kinds  of,  411. 

Drum  fishing,  318. 

Groupers,  212. 

Grunt,  315. 

Mariposas,  350. 

Shark  fishing,  372. 

Snapper  sport,  33-49. 

Tarpon  fishing,  224. 
Flying-fish  as  bait,  414-416. 


Forests,  submarine,    105,    178-180, 

35*' 

Framework  of  game  fishes,  1-5. 
Frenchman,  tarpon  fishing  anecdote, 
266. 

Gaffing  — 

Kingfish,  284. 
Tarpon,  264. 
Tuna,  79. 

Galeorhinus,  tiger  shark,  375. 
Galveston,  fishing  resort,  420. 
Game  fishes  of  United  States  — 
Albacore,  see  that  title. 
Angel-fishes,  see  that  title. 
Angling,  see  Sea-angling. 
Barracuda  of  California,  see  that 

title. 
Barracuda   of  Florida,   see   that 

title. 

Blackfish,  see  that  title. 
Black  sea-bass,  see  that  title. 
Bluefish,  see  that  title. 
Bonito,  see  that  title. 
California  sheepshead,  see    that 

title. 

Channel-bass,  see  that  title. 
Chinook   of  Monterey,  see  that 

title. 
Colonies,  fishes  of,  see  Hawaiian 

Islands  and  Porto  Rico. 
Cooking,  296. 
Deep-sea  fishes,  11-12. 
Dolphin,  see  that  title. 
Drum,  see  that  title. 
Eggs,  9- 

Fishing  grounds,  416-424. 
Florida  jewfish,  see  Jewfish. 
Gray  snapper,  see  that  title. 
Groupers,  see  that  title. 
Grunts,  see  that  title. 
Habits,  II. 
Halibut,  see  that  title. 
Hawaiian  Islands,  see  that  title., 


Index 


429 


Game  fishes  of  United  States  [con- 
tinued] — 

Hogfish,  see  that  title.     ' 
Jack,  see  that  title. 
Jewfish,  see  that  title. 
Kingfish,  see  that  title. 
Literature,  pp.  viii-x. 
Mariposas,  see  that  title. 
Opha,  348. 
Phosphorescence,  12. 
Pollack  fishing,  277. 
Porto  Rico,  see  that  title. 
Pressure  of  deep  water,  12. 
Reproductive  methods,  9,  II. 
Robalo,  131. 
Rock-bass,  186. 

Scientific   investigation  by  spe- 
cialists, p.  vii. 
Sea-angling,  see  that  title. 
Sharks,  see  that  title. 
Sheepshead,  see  that  title. 
Shiners,  186. 
Snappers,  see  that  title. 
Sockdolliger,   definition,  halibut 

fishing,  360-364. 
Spanish  mackerel,  see  that  title. 
Spawning,  9-11. 
Structure  — 

Deep-sea  fishes  and  the  pres- 
sure of  water,  12. 

Digestive  organs,  8. 

Framework,  1-5. 

Illuminating  organs,  12. 

Internal  parts,  6-9. 

Locomotive  organs,  3-5. 

Scales,  9. 

Tarpon,  see  that  title. 
Triple-tail,  332. 
Tuna,  see  that  title. 
Varieties  in  many  seas,  279-280. 
Vocal  abilities,  315-317. 
Whitefish,  183. 
White  sea-bass,  see  that  title. 
Yellowtail,  see  that  title. 


Garden  Key  — 

Gray  snapper  resort,  34,  45. 

Spanish  mackerel,  290. 
Gardner,  boatman,  tuna  fishing,  79. 
Garrupa    nigrita,    black    grouper, 

216-221. 

George,  N.  M.,  tarpon  catch,  240. 
Georgia,  sheepshead  range,  329. 
Germo  alalunga,  see  Albacore. 
Gilbert,  Dr.  C.  H.,  identification  of 

Luvarus  imperialis,  398. 
Gilthead,  ancient  cultivation,  324. 
Golden  angel -fish,  name  for  yellow 

angel-fish,  357. 
Gray  snapper  [Lutianus  griseus~\  — 

Appearance,  35. 

Bait,  36,  37,  43. 

Cunning,  41. 

Fishing  method,  39,  40. 

Florida  reef  sport,  33. 

Game  qualities,  42. 

Haunts,  44,  45. 

Migration,  44. 

Night  fishing,  48. 

Range,  44. 

Species,  45. 

Weight,  43,  44. 

Young,  44. 

Green  snapper  [Lutianus  analis~\  47. 
Groupers  [Serranidtz]  — 

Black,  216-221. 

Red,  212-215. 

Sport,  tackle,  etc.,  212-222. 

Spotted,  222. 

White,  221. 
Grunts  — 

Florida  reef,  315. 

Porto  Rican  waters,  402-403. 
Gulf  of  California,   white    sea-bass 

habitat,  30. 
Gulf  of  Mexico,   barracuda   fishing, 

88. 

Gulf  Stream,  dolphin  fishing,  342- 
347- 


430 


Index 


Halibut    [Hippoglossus     hippoglos- 
sus'] — 

Bastard  halibut  sport,  366-369. 

Eye  movement,  370. 

Fishing,  357-368. 

Game  qualities,  360. 

Hook  used  by  Indians,  365. 

Size,  364. 

Sockdolliger,  360-364. 

Sport    in    Southern     California 
waters,  278. 

Strenuous  sport,  365-366. 

Tackle,  365,  366. 

Weight,  364,  365. 

Young,  370. 
Haliotis  as  bait,  413. 
Hamlet  grouper,  221. 
Hammerhead,  fighting  and  strength, 

377-382. 
Hard-tailed  jack,  caranx  pisquetus, 

!73- 

Hawaiian  Islands  — 
Angling  in,  397. 
Luvarus  imperialis  specimen, 

398. 

Parrot-fishes,  339. 
Herring,  California,  as  bait,  414. 
Hippoglossus  hippoglossus,  see  Hali- 
but. 
Hcemulont  common  grunt  of  Florida 

reef,  315. 

Hofe,  E.  vom,  tarpon  catch,  240. 
Hogfish       \_Lachnolaimus       maxi- 

mus~\  — 
Bait,  1 1 8. 
Cuban,  128. 

Deep-water  forms,  127,  129. 
Description,  122-127. 
Fishing  for,  122-132. 
Food,  129,  130. 
Game  qualities,  124. 
Haunts,  119,  128. 
Migration,  129. 
Monument  to,  128. 


Hogfish  [continued]  — 

Names,  127. 

Poison,  128. 

Species,  127. 

Tackle,  123. 

Holacanthus  ciliaris,  yellow  angel- 
fish,  356-358. 

Holder,  C.  F.,  leaping  tuna,  58. 
Holder,  Dr.  J.  B.,  tuna  specimens, 

53,  54- 

Horse  mackerel,  name  for  tuna,  54. 
Howe,  Dr.  H.  W.  — 

Gun  camera,  373. 

Tarpon  fishing,  240,  271. 

Illuminating  organs  of  game  fishes, 

12. 

Indian  River,  fishing  resort,  418. 

Jack  [  Caranx  hippos}  — 

Bait,  173. 

"Beat,"  164,  170. 

Description,  172. 

Feeding,  167. 

Fishing  for,  164-173. 

Game  qualities,  169,  172. 

Haunts,  163,  171,  177. 

Names,  170. 

Porto  Rican  caranx,  400. 

Spawning,  171. 

Species,  173. 

Synonyms,  170. 

Tackle,  168. 

Texan,  172. 

Weight,  171. 
Jenkins,   W.  S.,   tarpon  migration, 

230. 
Jewfish  [Frontier  ops]  — 

Fight  with,  305. 

Fishing  experiences,  298-303. 

Genera,  304. 

Kedging,  300. 

Range,  304,  307-308. 

Record,  305. 


Index 


Jewfish  [continued]  — 

Run  of,  304. 

Season,  306. 

Sewing  mouth,  303. 

Size,  302,  305. 

Spawning,  306. 

Status,  298. 

Stories  of,  299. 

Tackle,  303,  306. 

Texan,  304. 

Weight,  305. 
Jordan,  Dr. — 

Chinook  fly-fishing,  384. 

Samoa    and   Hawaiian    Islands, 

fishing  in,  397. 
Jovius,  Bishop  Paul,  fish  story,  309. 

Key  West,  fishing  resort,  419. 
Kingfish  [Scomberomorus  regalis}  — 

Bait,  283,  388. 

Beauty  of,  285. 

Feast  of,  288. 

Fishing,  282-285. 

Gaffing,  284. 

Game  qualities,  283. 

Giant,  287. 

Leaps  of,  283. 

Size,  286,  287. 

Tackle,  282. 

Value,  287. 
Kingfish,    second    [Scomberomorus 

cavalld\  286. 
Kingsley,    Atlantic    range    of    the 

tuna,  54. 

Kipling,  Rudyard,  chinook   fishing, 
385. 

Lachnolaimus  maximus,  see  Hogfish. 
Lampris  tuna,  opha,  348. 
Leaping  sharks,  see  Sharks. 
Leaping  tuna,  see  Tuna. 
Lobotes  surinamensis,  triple-tail,  332. 
Locomotive  organs  of  game  fishes, 
3-5- 


Long  John,"   commander   of  the 
"  Bull  Pup,"  323,  334,  341,  353. 
Loro,  blue  parrot-fish,  338. 
Louisiana  fishing  grounds,  422. 
Luminous  fishes,  12. 
Lutianidtz,  see  Snappers. 
Lutianus    analis,    green    snapper, 

47- 

Lutianus  afiodus,  schoolmaster,  50. 

Lutianus  ay  a,  red  snapper,  45. 

Lutianus  griseus,  see  Gray  snapper. 

Lutianus  jocu,  dog  snapper,  45. 

Lu-varus  imperialis,  Hawaiian  speci- 
men, 398. 

Mackerel  — 

Salt  mackerel  of  Marc  Antony, 

296. 

Spanish  mackerel,  see  that  title. 
McLellan,  I.,  poem,  169. 
Mann,   G.  E.,  fishing  at  Galveston, 

420. 
Marc  Antony  and  Cleopatra   story, 

296. 

Mariposas  \_Chatodipterus  fabcr\  — 
Family,  354. 
Fishing,  351. 
Game  qualities,  354. 
Range,  353. 
Size,  353. 
Tackle,  351,  352. 
Mexico,  tarpon  fishing,  271,  272. 
Mexico,  Gulf  of,  barracuda  fishing, 

88. 
Monterey   chinook,  see  Chinook  of 

Monterey. 

Mugil  cephalus  as  bait,  411,  413. 
Mugil  curema  as  bait,  411. 
Mullet  as  bait,  411,  413. 

Nassau  grouper,  221. 

Oceanic  fishes,  see  Game  fishes. 
Oceanic  fishing,  see  Sea-angling. 


432 


Index 


Old  Point  Comfort,  sheepshead  fish- 
ing, 326,  327,  329- 

Oncorhynchus  tschawytscha,  see 
Chinook  of  Monterey. 

Opha  \_Lampris  luna~\  348. 

Grata,  S.,  gilthead  cultivation,  324. 

Palinurus  as  bait,  413. 
Paralichthys    californicus,     bastard 

halibut,  369. 
Parrot-fishes  — 

Blue  parrot-fish,  338. 
Description,  336,  337. 
Fishing,  333-338. 
Hawaiian  esteem,  339. 
Poisonous,  339. 
Pseudoscarus  guacamaia,  339. 
Pascagoula  and  its   music,   legend, 

316. 
Paublo  — 

Bait  collecting,  408-410. 
Gray  snapper  fishing,  38. 
Jewfish  sport,  300. 
Kingfish  sport,  282-285. 
Siesta  while  fishing,  406. 
Phosphorescence  of  game  fishes,  12. 
Photographing  tarpon  in  air,  373. 
Pimelometopon  pulcher,  see  Califor- 
nia sheepshead. 

Pluma  [  Calamus  kendallt}  404. 
Pogonias  cromis,  see  Drum. 
Pollack  fishing,  277. 
Pomacanthus  arcuatus,  black  angel- 
fish*  355-3S6- 

Pomatomus  saltatrixt  see  Bluefish. 
Pompon   [Anisotremus  surinamen- 

sis~\  404. 

Porgies  in  Porto  Rican  waters,  404. 

Porto  Rico,  game  fishes  — 

Conditions  of  fishing,  399. 

Eagle  ray,  405. 

Evermann's  report,  401. 

Fishes  in  Porto   Rican   waters, 

400-407. 


Porto     Rico,     game     fishes     \con- 

tinued~\  — 
Grunts,  402-403. 
Pluma,  404. 
Pompon,  404. 
Tarpon,  401-402. 
Promicrops,  see  Jewfish. 
Pseudoscarus  guacamaia>  parrot-fish, 
339- 

Rays,  Porto  Rican  waters,  405. 

Red  grouper  \_Epinephelus  morio~\ 
212-215. 

Red  snapper  \_Lutianus  aya~]  45. 

Red  tail  [Lutianus  synagris}  50. 

Reproduction  of  game  fishes,  meth- 
ods, 9,  II. 

"  Rip-raps,"  triple-tail  specimen,  332. 

Robalo  [Centropomus~\  131. 

Rock-bass  of  California  waters,  186. 

Rod-fishing,  12-13. 

Rods  for  sheepshead  fishing,  328. 
[See  also  Tackle.] 

Salmon,    chinook,   see    Chinook    of 

Monterey. 

Salt  mackerel  of  Marc  Antony,  296. 
Samoa,  game  fishing,  397. 
San  Clemente  Island,  fishing,  422. 
San  Jorgas  Bay,  white  sea-bass  fish- 
ing, 30-31. 
Santa  Catalina  — 

Fishing  resort,  422. 

Halibut  sport,  366. 

Tiger  sharks,  375. 

Tuna  fishing,  57. 

White  sea-bass  catch,  18. 
Santa  Cruz,  famous  for  salmon,  395. 
Sarda  ckiliensis,  see  Bonito. 
Scales  of  game  fishes,  9. 
Scarus,  name  for  blackfish,  275,  276. 
Scarus    cceruleus,     blue   parrot-fish, 

338. 
Schoolmaster  {Lutianus  apodus)  50. 


Index 


433 


Sciccnops    ocellatus,    see     Channel- 
bass. 

Scomberomorus  cavalla,  second  king- 
fish,  286. 

Scomberomorus  maculatus,  see  Span- 
ish mackerel. 

Scomberomorus    regalis,    see    King- 
fish. 

Scombrida,  see  Tuna. 
Sea-angling  — 

Artful  discernment  of  fish,  1 7. 

Bait,  see  that  title. 

Boats,  see  that  title. 

Byron,  dislike  for  angling,  268. 

Chance,  element  of,  14. 

Courtesy  code,   tarpon   angling, 
276. 

Fishing  grounds,  416-424. 

Gaffing,  see  that  title. 

Modern  pastime,  p.  v. 

Nature,  anglers'  love  of,  118. 

Rod-fishing,  12-13. 

Season,  215. 

Stories  of  ill-luck,  18. 

Superstitions  of  sea-anglers,  14. 

Tackle,  see  that  title. 

Trolling,  see  that  title. 

Varieties    in    many    seas,    279- 
280. 

[See  also  Game  fishes.] 
Sea-bass  [  Centropristes  striatus~\  277. 

Black  sea-bass,  see  that  title. 

Species,  277. 

White  sea-bass,  see  that  title. 
Sea-drum,  see  Drum. 
Sea  fishes,  see  Game  fishes. 
Sea-lion  catch,  279. 
Second    kingfish      [Scomberomorus 

cavalla~]  286. 
Seriola,  see  Yellowtail. 
Seriola   dorsalis,   Pacific   species  of 

yellowtail,  145. 

Seriola  lalandi,  amber-jack,  149. 
Serranidce,  see  Groupers. 

2F 


Sharks,  371-382. 

Hammerhead  fishing  experience, 
377-382. 

Sport,  372-382. 

Tiger  shark,  375. 

Sheepshead    [Archosargus  probato- 
cephalus]  — 

Ancient  cultivation,  324. 

Bait,  327,  328,  329. 

Description,  325. 

Family,  325. 

Fishing,  328-332. 

Habits,  325. 

Range,  326,  327,  329. 

Rods,  328. 

Size,  329,  330. 

Spawning,  330. 

Tackle,  328,  331. 

Value,  324. 

Sheepshead,  Californian,  see  Califor- 
nia sheepshead. 
Shell  abalone  as  bait,  413. 
Shiners  \_Abeona  minima'}  1 86. 
Shrimp  as  bait,  413. 
Silver  mullet  as  bait,  411. 
Skeleton  of  game  fishes,  1-5. 
Smelt,  California,  as  bait,  414. 
Snappers  \_Lutianidce\  — 

Characteristics  of  family,  49. 

Dog  snapper,  45. 

Florida  sport,  33-49. 

Gray  snapper,  see  that  title. 

Green  snapper,  47. 

Red  snapper,  45. 

Red  tail,  50. 

Schoolmaster,  50. 
"  Sockdolliger,"    definition,    halibut 

fishing,  360-364. 

Spanish   mackerel    [Scomberomorus 
maculatus~\  — 

Aransas  Pass,  290. 

Beauty,  golden  glint  of  fish,  292, 

293- 
Fishing,  289-292. 


434 


Index 


Spanish  mackerel  [continued]  — 
Garden  Key,  290. 
Migration,  292. 
Range,  292. 
Spawning,  292. 
Tackle,  291. 

Spawning  of  game  fishes,  9-1 1. 
Spotted    cero,    name    for    kingfish, 

286. 
Spotted  grouper  [Epinephelus  drum- 

mond-hayi]  222. 
Sphyrana  argentea,  see  Barracuda  of 

California. 
Sphyrcena  barracuda,  see  Barracuda 

of  Florida. 

Squid,  tuna  bait,  416. 
Stereolepis  gigas,  see  Black  sea-bass. 
Striped  bass  sport,  277. 
Strombus  gigas  as  bait,  412. 
Structure  of  game  fishes,  see  Game 

fishes. 
Submarine    forests,    105,    178-180, 

35*- 

Superstitions  of  sea-anglers,  14. 
Surf-fishing  for  channel-bass,  196. 

Tackle  — 

Albacore,  202. 

Barracuda  of  California,  102. 

Barracuda  of  Florida,  94. 

Black  sea-bass,  115,  116,  117. 

Bluefish,  155. 

California  sheepshead,  181. 

Channel-bass,  191. 

Chinook  of  Monterey,  388-390. 

Dolphin,  344. 

Drum,  317. 

Groupers,  212. 

Halibut,  365,  366. 

Hogfish,  123. 

Jack,  168. 

Jewfish,  303,  306. 

Kingfish,  282. 

Leaping  tuna,  59-67. 


Tackle  [continued']  — 

Mariposas,  351,  352. 

Sheepshead,  328,  331. 

Spanish  mackerel,  291. 

Tarpon,  236,  237,  257-261. 

White  sea-bass,  24,  25. 

Yellowtail,  139. 

Tamisio,  maigre  fish  story,  309. 
Tampico,  tarpon  fishing,  271,  272. 
Tautog,  name  for  blackfish,  274. 
Tautoga  onitis,  see  Blackfish. 
Tarpon  [  Tarpon  atlanticus']  — 

Aransas  Pass,  253,  256,  261. 

Bait,  237,  253. 

Courtesy  code  in  angling,  270. 

Description,  227,  228. 

Fighting,  255. 

First  view  of  the  tarpon,  223. 

Fishing,  224-270. 

Frenchman  anecdote,  266. 

Gaffing,  264. 

Game  qualities,  226. 

Habits,  233. 

Jenkins,  W.  S.,  on,  230. 

Leap  of,  239,  247,  248,  251,  272. 

Mexican  fishing,  271,  272. 

Migration,  230. 

Name,  228. 

Photographing  in  air,  373. 

Playing,  264,  265. 

Porto  Rican  waters,  401-402. 

Pumping,  264. 

Range,  229. 

Rapacity,  233. 

Records,  240,  241,  252. 

Scales,  233. 

Season,  234. 

Size,  233. 

Skill  required  in  tarpon  fishing, 
266. 

Smallest,  231. 

Spawning,  232. 

Tackle,  236,  237,  257-261. 

Texas,  231,  244-246. 


Index 


435 


Tarpon  [continued]  — 

Trolling,  253,  263. 

Weight,  255. 

Winter  fishing,  271. 

"Yucatan  Bill,"  373,  374. 
Tarpon  atlanticus,  see  Tarpon. 
Texan  Jack,  172. 

Texas,  tarpon  fishing,  231,  244-246. 
Tiger  shark  \_Galeorhinus\  375. 
Triple-tail    \_Lobotes    surinamensis] 

332. 
Trolling  — 

California  barracuda,  99,  102. 

Tarpon,  253,  263. 
Tuna  \Scombrida\  — 

Bait,  59,  63,  414,  416. 

Boats,  59. 

Breeding,  85. 

Charge  of,  73. 

Exciting  experience,  79. 

Feeding,  51,  69,  71. 

Fighting  abilities,  75-78. 

Fishing  for,  59-82. 

Gaffing,  79. 

Game  qualities,  77. 

Giants,  55,  78. 

Hooking,  2. 

Leap  of,  72,  83. 

Migration,  67. 

Play  of,  73,  77. 

Record,  58,  66,  77. 

Size,  53. 

Tackle,  59-67. 

Weight,  53. 

Vocal  abilities  of  fishes,  315-317. 

Waddell,  J.  A.  L.,  tarpon  fishing  at 

Tampico,  271. 

West  Indies,  hogfish  range,  128. 
Whitefish     \_Caulolatilus  princeps] 

183. 


White  grouper  [Epinephelus  stria- 

tus~\  221. 
White   sea-bass  [Cynosdon   macdo- 

naldi\  30. 
White  sea-bass  [  Cynoscion  nobilis~] — 

Appearance,  22-23. 

Bait,  20,  26,  27,  28. 

Food,  value  as,  29. 

Habitat,  18,  21,  23,  26,  30. 

Habits,  29,  30. 

Length,  22. 

Santa  Catalina  catch,  18. 

Species,  23,  30,  32. 

Tackle,  24,  25. 

Weight,  22,  23,  24,  28,  30. 

Young,  29,  33. 
White   sea-bass    [Cynosdon  parvi- 

pinnis}  32. 
Whitney,  J.  P.,  chinook  fishing,  385, 

386,  389.  39i»  394- 
Winter,  tarpon  fishing,  271. 

Xenocrates,  scarus,  275. 

Yellow  angel-fish  [Holacanthus  cil- 

iaris}  356-358- 
Yellowtail  [Seriola]  — 

Bait,  140,  414. 

Description,  144. 

Fishing  for,  133-148. 

Food,  147. 

Haunts,  138. 

Inshore,  138. 

Relations,  144. 

Rush  of,  134. 

Spawning,  145. 

Species,  145,  149. 

Tackle,  139. 

Tameness,  147. 

Value,  146. 
"Yucatan  Bill,"  373,  374. 


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